Seniors v Northampton away Friday June 28 2024

Algy Grimes and Jed Isbell with their Northampton opponents

Organiser and Captain for the Day Algy Grimes reports

Following a leisurely journey to Northampton everyone arrived on time, pretty much like the weather; bright and breezy. After the usual introductions of the teams, including Tony Walters introducing himself as a Mrs Brown lookalike, we sat down in our playing groups for a splendid full English breakfast. So having been well fed, off we went to the first tee. Standing in for our Captain Richard, I was very hopeful of leading the team to victory, especially as we had a 51 shot advantage which is unusual for a JOG team.

The first match consisting of myself and Jed Isbell started in reasonable fashion, we went 1 up after the second hole but by the 7th we found ourselves 2 down. As Jed remarked at the time we were not playing badly, they were just playing a little bit better. However we then went on a winning streak by winning the next 3 holes to put us 1 up after the 10th. The iced tea from the halfway house played a big part in rejuvenating us. Northampton came back to level on the next hole but we were 1 up again after 14. Then with all four of us on or near the green in 2 on the 15th we thought we would at least secure a half, if not win the hole. However, we did not account for one of the opponents sinking a 40ft putt to win the hole. There we were all square after 15. Not too bad I was thinking, we have three holes to play. However, with Northampton then winning 16 and 17 it was suddenly all over and we lost 2 & 1. A very enjoyable round though, both Jed and I played to our handicaps but still lost.

The second match saw Warren Churms play just 9 over par but still lost 4 & 3, apparently their opposition didn't accept Warren's offer of half on one hole when he had a 5 foot putt downhill and they had a 4 foot putt uphill, I wonder why?

The first three results came in and we were 3 down, so I was fearing the worst of a whitewash, but Graham Gadsden and Nigel Underwood steadied the ship with a 2 & 1 win. There was hope, or so I thought. The remaining results proved to mainly go against us but Paul Jeeves and David Tamsitt did win 2 & 1. Meaning a defeat 6 - 2 to Northampton.

There was a nearest the pin in 2 prize on the 18th, that too went to a Northampton player.

The individual matches were;

Algy Grimes & Jed Isbell                     lost 2 & 1

Derek Page & Warren Churms              lost 4 & 3

Terry Sweeney & Paul Dobson              lost 5 & 4

Graham Gadsden & Nigel Underwood     WON 2 & 1

Barry Donovan & Trevor Darrington       lost 5 & 3

Rob Issacson & Tony Walters               lost 2 & 1

Paul Jeeves & David Tamsitt                 WON 2 & 1

Paul Jones & Nick Schumann                lost 6 & 4

We can have no excuses. The course was in very good condition, but the greens may have been a bit slower than those at JOG and what we are used to, well I have to look for some sort of an excuse!!

A great day otherwise!

Paul Jones and Nick Schumann enjoy a moment in the sunshine before their round

Paul Jeeves on the 16th with the clubhouse in the background

 

Seniors at home to Letchworth Tuesday June 25 2024

 

Good boy: Chris Sullivan collects the plates after lunch

Organiser Nigel Underwood reports

PHEW...IT'S A SCORCHER....AND PHEW....THAT WAS CLOSE!

In blazing sun and fearsome heat  (yes, Summer has briefly appeared), Captain Richard led from the front,  as his team of gallant  (as well as hot, sticky and exhausted) combatants crushed the opposition from Letchworth and sent them scuttling back down the A1......well, nearly. 

In very warm but otherwise perfect conditions, all but one of the matches produced very tight finishes, as did the match overall. Indeed, 5 matches were only decided on the eighteenth green and the final putt. Matches see-sawed one way then another as did the overall match score as results trickled in.

Richard Westergreen Thorne and Nigel Underwood won 1 up

Ian Riches and David Trotter won 2 and 1

Fred Williams and Chris Sullivan halved

Steve Collins and Gerry Degaute  halved

Barry  Donovan and Oz Osman lost 1 down

Gavin Little and Trevor Darrington lost 3 and 2

Len Greaves and Chris Roy won 2 and 1

... 4 to 3 to JoG with 1 result to come.

We knew Michael Bonwick  and Nick Schuman had been +1 through 16. Had they held on???? After perhaps the longest cooling showers in JoG match history the brave pair finally ambled into the bar to reveal their 1 up victory after the 18th ... a crucial  result that sealed a 5-3 WIN for the home team!  Thanks to all who took part ... it was bloody hot out there! Congratulations to all our winners and halvers and special plaudits to Michael and Nick who clinched the victory ... a day that will go down in the annals of history. 

PS: sausage and mash may not have been the greatest choice for lunch with the temperatures over 90F.....but hey, REAL men don't do salad, right?

Longest Day Challenge Friday June 21 2024

 

Four captains: Richard Westergreen-Thorne, Justin Thomas, Chris Ellis and Ixie Akpan

Richard tees off on the first hole of the 54-hole challenge

Senior Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne reports on the Longest Day Challenge

On Friday 21^st June I set off, just before 8.00am, with the other three captains of Justin Thomas (Club Captain), Chris Ellis (Ladies Captain) and Ixie Akpan (Junior Captain) to complete the 54 hole challenge in aid of the Club Captains charity of Macmillan Cancer Support.

It was a hot day when we set off and got even hotter as the day progressed, but we were in good spirits and well provided for with drink and sustenance. Gordon had laid on Bucks Fizz on the first tee and some very loud stirring music to inspire us – sorry if you were woken up in Potton! One of the tunes was the music from the film ‘The Longest Day’ and I spent most of the first round trying to get it out of my head.

First up was 4BBB on JOG with Justin and I taking on Ixie and Chris.  Ixie has a handicap of three and hits the ball a very long way so a pattern was soon established of us teeing off and then the rest of us attempting to get past Ixie’s first ball with our second shots. Impressive stuff. Aided by birdies on 5 and 6 by Ixie (yes 5 and 6) it was a very tight match won by Ixie and Chris on the last green.

A quick lunch and we were off on Carthagena for a Foursomes in the same teams. I decided to give Justin some bunker practice on the first few holes but we held on for a long time before Ixie and Chris pulled ahead to win.

It got very hot on the second round so, after a short break, we decided we should keep going rather than stopping and seizing up and so we quickly moved on to JOG for Greensomes in the same pairings. Thankfully a breeze gradually sprung up and some clouds appeared to offer some partial shade and Justin and I sprung to life to win the game. As Justin and I thought we should play this round ‘double or quits’ we tried to believe that the match ended all square.

It was a good feeling walking up the 18^th for the last time (yes I did walk all the way round) and also to receive the well wishes of fellow golfers throughout the day. A good experience for a very good cause.

Thanks to the contributions of many seniors I have raised around £1,700 towards the Club Captains Macmillan Cancer Support charity which is a very pleasing achievement for such a worthwhile cause.

Thanks to everyone who has supported the 54 Hole Challenge and over to you Tony for next year – it’s a doddle!

Richard Westergreen - Thorne

Past Senior Captains' Away Day Thursday June 20 2024

Winner Algy Grimes receives a bottle of wine from organiser Richard Coventry

 Six past Senior Captains, our current Captain and guests took part in this year's Past Senior Captains' Away Day at Whipsnade Park Golf Club.

As we played the first hole we observed a tall wire fence running the length of the fairway and  wondered what kind of danger lurked next door at Whipsnade Zoo. Lions? Tigers? To our relief we found it was the deer park. In fact the only wildlife we saw was a muntjack deer and a couple of hares.

The winner, with 38 points, was Algy Grimes. Nearest the pin winner was Richard Westergreen-Thorne and nearest the pin in three on a par 4 was Bill Walker. Richard and Bill were presented with bottles of win by Fred Williams.

Among the more impressive shots of the day was Jonathan Lean's chip in for 2 on the par 3 17th.

The prize-giving took place following an excellent meal in the club's impressive restaurant which looks more like a Spanish Hacienda than a golf club. Those lucky enough to have won a place on the away day at Whipsnade in September have a treat in store.

Richard W-T thanked Richard Coventry for organising this event and other away days over recent years.

Bill Walker, David Barlow, Rafe Bateson and Richard Coventry

Nigel Underwood, Jim Kerr, Fred Williams and Barry Donovan

Richard Westergreen-Thorne, Jonathan Lean, Tony Lloyd and Algy Grimes

Nearest the pin in 3 on a par 4: Bill Walker

Nearest the pin: Richard Westergreen-Thorne

Seniors at home to Luffenham Heath Monday June 17 2024

Organiser Ian Riches reports

After months of rain, sometimes of near Biblical proportions, summer finally arrived at John O’Gaunt this week as we welcomed 12 players from Luffenham Heath G.C. in Rutland for an afternoon match in glorious sunshine. This is a new match in our calendar and, consequently, as it was squeezed into an already crowded fixture list it was only twelve-a-side compared to the usual sixteen. Next year we will be running a full sixteen-a-side competition.

Our Captain played extremely well and rarely missed a fairway with his drive. At the turn we were 2 up and Richard then put his tee shot within about five feet of the 10^th hole, which was subsequently conceded due to too many shots having been taken by our opponents. Richard was adamant he would have made the birdie putt. We went on to win our match 5&3.

Despite John O’Gaunt having a 67-shot advantage, the home team struggled to convert this into a winning margin. Messrs Dennis and Domagala drew their match and there was a 3&2 win for Brown and Page, but sadly Grimes and Walters lost by two holes, Sweeney and Osman lost 5&4 and Lean and Tamsitt lost 3&2. This all resulted in an overall win for Luffenham Heath and a final score of 3½ to 2½.

There was generous praise from the Luffenham Heath players as to the condition of the John O’Gaunt course. I understand that Luffenham Heath, which is a site of Special Scientific Interest, has penal levels of rough which will only be cut after we visit in late August, so those lucky enough to be chosen to play one of Harry Colt’s best heathland creations will need to ensure they can hit it straight if we are to obtain our revenge.

Footnote: David Tamsitt achieved a "Barnes Wallis" on the 4th, skimming his golf ball across the lake to safety.

Seniors at home to St Neots June 18 2024

 

Seniors Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne and organiser Jed Isbell with St Neots opponents

Organiser Jed Isbell reports

The day started with everyone wondering if summer was here at long last, with a number of players left scurrying around looking to change from trousers to shorts before teeing off and participating in the latest JoG Seniors Inter-Club match against St Neots.

As to the Captain's game we soon found ourselves 1 down with St Neots striking an early lead, but rallied to bring it back to all square on the very next hole. It didn’t stop there with us then winning the next 4 holes to go 4 up. Things then took a dramatic turn with St Neots using their shots well, even throwing in a birdie to eventually bring the game to all square by the 17th and to then take the 18th with literally the last putt of the game. A really enjoyable game and one that could so easily have gone either way.

In the second match Jonathan Lean and Tony Lloyd got off to a flying start with Jonathan chipping in from off the green for par and Tony sinking his putt for four net three.

The home team won the 2nd with a nett birdie from Tony and the 3rd with a tap-in three from Jonathan.

They stretched their lead to four up before being pegged back to all square by the 11th. St Neots then gifted JoG three holes in a row to end with a 3 & 1 victory.

The overall match result was a loss of 5&3 with 4 games being lost on the 18th green. Pairings and results for the JoG team were as follows:

Richard Westergreen-Thorne & Jed Isbell - Lost 1Dn

Tony Lloyd & Jonathan Lean - WON 3&1

Peter Grimes & Nigel Underwood - Lost 1Dn

Gerry Degaute & Ken Brewer - Lost 1Dn

Steve Luckman & Tony Goodson - Lost 3&2

Mehmet Osman & David Trotter - Lost 6&5

Neil Pinnington & Paul Dobson - WON 1Up

Paul Jeeves & Graham Gadsden - WON 6&5

After the match we were well looked after by the JoG hospitality team who served up a delightful meal of chargrilled gammon followed by cherry & apple crumble with custard.

Seniors at home to Leighton Buzzard Tuesday June 11 2024

 

Seniors Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne and organiser Trevor Darrington with their Leighton Buzzard opponents on the JOG first tee

Organiser Trevor Darrington reports

On a mild and sunny day interspersed with a little rain, JOG entertained a team from Leighton Buzzard. The Captain, Richard and I were matched with their Captain, John and his partner Richard L. With only 5 shots between us, the match was always going to be very close.

 We went one up on the second, but were pulled back on the fourth. Having taken the lead again on the fifth, we remained one shot ahead until the 11th when two pars from the Organiser shot us three points ahead. John chipped in from well off the back of the 13th green for a par and it was left to Richard (I had lost my ball in the water with my second shot) to come up trumps with a remarkable five, with a shot, to halve the hole.

 On the 15th both I and Richard L hit fine tee shots. Richard L hit his second to about 50 yards from the pin. I hit mine 5 yards from the green, but was impeded by the bank on the bunker, so couldn’t putt. Richard L promptly chipped to within 2 inches of the pin for a 4. Anybody who has seen me with a wedge in my hand would have been worried at this stage, but I managed to chip within 15 inches of the hole. I was made to putt out for a 4 with a shot to end the match winning 4 & 3.

The 15th green was also the scene of much celebration and “Dad dancing” by Nick Schumann who managed to hole a 40 foot putt to “win” the hole and take the lead in their very tight match. Unfortunately, Nick had putted Steve Luckman’s ball which meant they had actually gone one down rather than one up. Their final result was a 3&2 loss.

Well done to everybody, and especially those who stepped in at the very last minute and those with some remarkable “dog licences”. *

The scores were:-

Richard Westergreen-Thorne and Trevor Darrington – won 4&3

Fred Williams and Paul Life – lost 2 down

Michael Bonwick and Graham Gadsden – half

Gavin Little and Jed Isbell – won 7&6

Ian Maddison and Rafe Bateson – won 7&6

Nick Schumann and Steve Luckman – lost 3&2

Bill Walker and David Tamsitt – won 2&1

Algy Grimes and Terry Sweeney – half

Overall, a 5&3 win for John O’Gaunt.

* Editor's note: For those of you, like me, who didn't get the "dog licences" reference, a dog licence used to cost seven and six! Thankyou to Trevor for the joke.

Match Secretary's dilemma

 

The image above illustrates perfectly how difficult Algy Grimes's job as Match Secretary can be for the more popular away matches. As you can see 32 people applied for the 12 places at Luffenham Heath away. Once the Captain and Organiser are selected that leaves only 10 places. To be fair to everyone Algy used a random number generator to select from the remaining 30 hopefuls. The lucky ones are marked S for Selected in the final column. Thanks to Algy for doing such a great job and apologies to those who were unsuccessful.

Seniors Rex Cleaver Championship Trophy Tuesday June 4 2024

 Congratulations to Chris Sullivan, winner of the Rex Cleaver Championship Trophy with a score of nett 65.

Chris was one of three players on nett 65, the others being David List in second place and Keith Hargreaves in third.

Winner of the Bessant East Scratch Trophy for best gross score was Peter Imray with 77.

Second place: David List receives his prize from Richard Westergreen-Thorne

Third place: Keith Hargreaves receives his prize from Richard Westergreen-Thorne

The result shook up the Golfer of the Year leaderboard, leaving Paul Jones in first place with 41 points, David List in second with 38 points, Graham Gadsden in third with 36 points, Cav Kendall in fourth with 35 points and Kevin Cocker in fifth with 30 points.

To see the full leaderboard go to the Club Website, then click "competitions", "ongoing", "order of merit competitions", "senior section golfer of the year".

Your best six results from the nine qualifying competitions in 2024 count towards the GOTY competition. Twenty points are awarded for winning a competition, 19 points for second etc down to one point for 20th place. All players are awarded one point for entering and completing the competition.

Raffle winners after the Rex Cleaver were Graham Gadsden, Dennis Ford, Rafe Bateson and John Hazelwood. They each receive £10 on their pro shop account.

Seniors away to St Neots May 30 2024

 

JOG Seniors Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne and organiser Jed Isbell on the 1st tee with their St Neots opponents 

Organiser Jed Isbell reports

A slightly overcast morning saw a merry band of JoG Seniors visit St Neots to play them in our annual inter-club match. The forecast indicated a 25% chance of rain, which did materialise in the form of some drizzle about half way round and lasted for a couple of holes before we all ended up removing clothing as the sun beat down on us.

As to the Captain's game, here we found ourselves one down after the first hole but soon rallied to make it all square by the third. We then managed to go two up before St Neots pulled one back, but we then promptly took the next two holes to reach the turn three up. Once again St Neots rallied only for their hopes to be dashed as our Captain produced a sublime chip and putt on the makeshift 16th hole (one was out of play for coursework) to keep us on track and to help secure a win of 4&3.

Pairings and results for the JoG team were as follows:

Richard Westergreen-Thorne & Jed Isbell - WON 4&3

Tony Lloyd & Mark Ellis - A/S

Paul Beck & Derek Young - Lost 1 Down

Paul Life & Tony Goodson - WON 5&3

Michael Bonwick & Gerry Degaute - Lost 1 Down

Ken Brewer & Michael Newstead - Lost 5&4

Paul Hammond & Rafe Bateson - Lost 2 Down

Algy Grimes & Trevor Darrington WON 5&4

A very close-fought match, which could have gone either way with 3 of the matches being lost on the 18th green, resulted in a win for St Neots with a final score of 4½ to the JoG’s 3½. We look forward to hosting St Neots on the 18th June for the return match, when we look to turn this result around.

After the match we were treated to cottage pie, treacle sponge and custard, which was enjoyed by all before our Captain got up to announce the result. Before doing so he shared with the audience a couple of incidents that had happened during our visit, with two of our players - Rafe Bateson and Paul Hammond - getting "tickets" on their windscreens as they do not allow commercial vehicles to park in front of the clubhouse - a situation made all the more comical by the fact that Rafe's vehicle is in fact  taxed as a car and not used in any commercial capacity.

 The other incident related to the "shot of the day" where a ball appeared on the fairway that our Captain was playing, only to find that it was in fact a wayward tee shot of Paul Life who had "slightly" lost his way. The faux pas to the story was that he was then given advice from the playing opponents of the Captain and promptly struck the ball over some trees to land it on the green to win the hole he was playing. Needless to say his playing opponents were none too pleased with the advice that was given to him by their so-called colleagues.

Post Match Note: Playing the 3rd, Algy Grimes got a birdie - but not one of the golfing kind. His second shot into the green hit the rear end of a Canada Goose that happened to be walking on the course. Needless to say this did not stop them from going on to win their game.

You can't park here sir! Rafe Bateson and Paul Hammond received windscreen "tickets" reminding them that "commercial vehicles" are not allowed to park in front of the clubhouse

Seniors at home to Millbrook May 28th 2024

 

Organiser Jonathan Lean, Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne, Millbrook Vice Captain Ian Potter and Millbrook Captain Martin Howell on the Carthagena 1st Tee.

Organiser Jonathan Lean reports

This was the first home match that I had organised, so I was keen that everything went smoothly.  Trying to keep ahead of the game, I prepared the score cards on the Friday before the match on Tuesday 28th May.  Murphy’s Law kicked in though and, on the Saturday, Millbrook Captain Martin Howell sent me the updated Millbrook team.  The good news was that the team was unchanged in terms of personnel.  The bad news was that every Millbrook team member’s HI had changed except one.  Tippex to the rescue!

On the morning of the match, I arrived at the club at 7.30am only to find our intrepid captain already warming up in the nets.  Trying to get some practice in not having played for 3 weeks, he explained.  Such dedication!

After the usual introductions, we set off in cloudy but dry conditions.  This was not to last though and the whole round was punctuated by brollies up and down, waterproofs on and off and a challenging swirling wind.  These are my excuses, and I am sticking to them!

The opening match (organiser and captain) did not start to plan, losing the first 2 holes to net pars.  We stopped the rot briefly by halving the third and then managed a birdie on the 4th to pull back to 1 down.  This was a brief respite though as Millbrook won the 5th to get back to 2 up where they stayed to the turn.  There was no let up as our opponents played very well to eventually triumph 4 & 2.  The rain had let up by then so we played the 17th and 18th, both of which captain Richard played immaculately.  Too little to late though.  Perhaps he was showing off to club captain Justin Thomas who walked in with us for these last 2 holes.

As the results trickled in things started to look up as matches 2 and 3 went our way and match 4 was halved.  2½ - 1½ after 4 matches.  Could this be 2 wins in a row?  Sadly we then lost 3 of the last 4 matches to eventually go down 3½ - 4½ overall.

An excellent lunch of chicken and vegetables followed by chocolate tart eased the disappointment somewhat. 

The course was in excellent condition and compliments abounded from the Millbrook team.  Their captain, Martin Howell confided that this match against JOG was the most over-subscribed in their calendar

Nearest the pin on the 8th for JOG was Nick Schumann.  His was the only name on the sheet even though he was in the 6th match out.  None of the JOG players managed to hit the green in the first 5 matches!

Overall results as follows.

Richard Westergreen-Thorne and Jonathan Lean lost 4 & 2

Phil Armstrong and Andy Lawrence won 2 & 1

Jack Shepherd and Chris Roy won 1 up.

Fred Williams and Gerry Degaute halved their match

Oz Osman and Gavin Little lost 5 & 4

Nick Schumann and Alban Macdonald lost 2 & 1

Barry Donovan and Neil Pinnington won 3 & 2

Michael Newstead and Graham Gadsden lost 2 & 1.

Seniors at home to South Beds Tuesday May 21 2024

 

Chris Dennis and Tony Lloyd with their South Beds opponents

Tony Lloyd reports on a welcome victory for JOG Seniors

I was up with the larks for my third match as stand-in Captain for Richard Westergreen-Thorne. A flat battery on my car meant I had plenty to worry about, never mind securing a sought-after victory for Richard.

As things turned out - Mrs Lloyd lent me her Mini - it might have been just what I needed to take my mind off the golf.

Playing with organiser Chris Dennis in Match 1 we got off to a shaky start with me in the greenside bunker and Chris over the back of the green. One up to South Beds.

But we recovered immediately with wins on the 2nd and 3rd to go 1 up.

By the 6th we were 2 up and feeling confident but not complacent ... before slipping to 1 up on the 7th.

Remarkably, we reached the 8th before a hole was halved.

South Beds' star player Andy Perry thought he had got us on the Par 5 9th with a birdie ... until yours truly, with a shot, followed up with a nett birdie to stay 1 up at the turn.

Then followed a loss at the 10th and five Halves with Dennis and Lloyd going 1 up on the 16th with a Par from Chris. 

South Beds won the 17th, leaving us all square going up the 18th. South Beds Captain Brian Murnane was in the hole for 5 nett 4, leaving Chris and me two shortish putts for a half.  I lined up mine only to realise I had an 8 iron in my hand! I walked back to my bag very slowly to find on my way back our opponents giving us the half, leaving the match Halved.

Back in the clubhouse it seemed as if our Half might have been the high point of the day, with Matches 2, 3 and 4 going to South Beds. Hats off to Richard Herbert and Richard Young (who recorded two birdies) who fought back from 4 down at the turn to end up narrowly defeated 1 Down.

Then came a ray of hope with matches 5, 6 and 7 going to John O'Gaunt. All square as we awaited the final result  - a convincing 3&2 win for Graham Gadsden and Trevor Darrington to give JOG a much-needed 4½ -3½ win ... only our second of the year.

Congratulations to Neil Pinnington who hit the pin to win nearest the pin on the 16th and sank the putt for as birdie to go Dormie 2 with Gavin Little.

Commiserations to their opponent whose trolley ended up in a bunker but well done to his playing partner who went looking in the brook for his lost ball only to find three Pro V1s.

Apart from the flood-damaged 13th the course was looking stunning and drew many plaudits from the visitors ... as did the pork loin and sticky toffee pudding which we ate gratefully in the warmth of the Burgoyne Suite as the heavens opened outside.

Congratulations to Chris Dennis whose first match as organiser went seemlessly. Let's hope we can do as well on our return visit in September.

Overall results:

Chris Dennis and Tony Lloyd: Halved

Terry Domagala and Jed Isbell: Lost 4&2

Richard Herbert and Richard Young: Lost 1 down

Tony Goodson and Ken Brewer: Lost 3&1

Gavin Little and Neil Pinnington: Won 2&1

Jonathan Lean and Michael Newstead: Won 1 up

Paul Hammond and Algy Grimes: Won 1 up

Graham Gadsden and Trevor Darrington: Won 3&2

Result: 4½ -3½ win to John O'Gaunt

Seniors away to Saffron Walden May 15 2024

 

Tony Lloyd and Michael Newstead with Saffron Walden's Peter Warren and Gerrard Murphy

Organiser Michael Newstead reports

The weather forecast the previous day had been grim with storms, thunder and lightning threatened.   As I drove to Saffron Walden, I gazed morosely out of the car window, the sky dark and threatening and thought to myself, we are going to get wet. However, more about the weather later.

Following the customary greeting, the announcement of pairings and the other administrative details it was off to the 1st and 17th tees for the game to begin. First away off the first tee was the two team captains and the two organisers and something very strange occurred!  All four sent their drives soaring down the fairway, straight and true, as I said, highly unusual. Second shots sent towards the green had mixed results, as did the score on that first hole, which JOG won with a birdie 3.

(Editor's note: Michael is too modest to report that the birdie was his)

JOG was able to maintain their advantage through holes 2 and 3, with ties on each, but lost hole 4, making it all square.  Holes 5 and 6 were a tie and a loss respectively, but a JOG win on 7 again equalized.  A loss on hole 9 meant JOG went into the back 9 one hole down.    After ties on 10, 11 and 12, Saffron Waldon increased their lead to 2 with a win on 13.  Hole 14 went to JOG, then 15 and 16 were tied.  Anyone out there good at maths will now see that Saffron Walden have surged ahead by 1 hole and we were coming to the end of the match.   Something had to be done!  Taking courage in both hands, the JOG team delivered a win on the 17th.

Nerves jangling, none of the 4 found the green on the 18th, which to those of you not familiar with Saffron Walden, is a downhill 158-yard par three, protected by bunkers to the left and right and with a viciously sloping green.   At this point, our gallant captain for the day, Tony Lloyd, who it is fair to say had not had the best round of his life, showed magnificent leadership in a crisis.   His ball having found the left-hand bunker was sent to within 2 feet of the pin, a truly magnificent shot and he made the par putt, handing JOG victory by one hole.

In the clubhouse, sitting waiting for the scores to come in things were looking good for JOG.   That first win was followed by a Saffron Walden win and then two tied scores.   Four matches recorded and all square.   Back to speaking about the weather, which throughout our match had been lovely.   However, the skies now opened, and rain was coming down in buckets as the remainder of the troops completed their games and as the weather worsened so did the scores for JOG, who sadly lost the remaining 4 games.

One person who did have a good day was Rob Ebsworth, mentioned in dispatches for winning the nearest the pin bottle of wine.

Saffron Walden is a magnificent golf course with fantastic views over the surrounding countryside and we were treated extremely well by both the Saffron Walden team and the meal and service provided by the club was excellent.

Individual results:

Tony Lloyd and Michael Newstead: Won 1 up

Paul Life and Neil Pinnington: Lost 3&2

Steve Mathers and Steve Collins: Halved

Derek Young and Gavin Little: Halved

Andy Brown and Richard Herbert: Lost 3&1

Rob Ebsworth and Alban Macdonald: Lost 1 down

Mark Ellis and Michael Bonwick: Lost 2&1

Algy Grimes and Chris Saunders: Lost 3&2

Overall result: Lost 6-2

Saffron Walden's iconic par 3 5th hole with Audley End House in the background

Seniors at home to Harpenden Common May 14 2024

 

Phil Armstrong and Tony Lloyd with Paul Bagnall and Steve Hewitt from Harpenden Common

Organiser Phil Armstrong reports

The false sense of security, which the weather gods had lulled us into during the previous week, was soon dispelled by a decidedly damp morning at John O’Gaunt.  Nevertheless, a convivial buzz filled the clubhouse as “Captain for the Day”, Tony Lloyd greeted everyone and the pairs were introduced.

In the leading match Tony and I started well, were pegged back and then took the lead again to be 1 up after nine.  Tony was displaying an unusual combination of skills by hitting the ball sweetly but also attempting to break the record for most bunkers visited in nine holes. In the second half the Harpenden Common pair came back strongly and an enjoyable match was brought to an end with our loss at the 17^th.

Waiting in the clubhouse as the results came in the lead swung to and fro but sadly John O‘Gaunt ended up losing 5 to 3.

Positive comments were received from the visitors on the condition of the course and fairways in particular.

Lunch was lasagne, salad and skin-on chips, which went down very well, followed by a chocolate and orange tart.

As Seniors Captain, Richard Westergreen-Thorne, was on holiday Tony experienced a taster of his role next year. Although apprehensive at the prospect he performed well and was glad to get his first “Captain’s” joke launched.

Harpenden Common’s Captain looked forward to receiving us at the return match in September with the aim of renewing some of the battles that that had taken place today.

Winners of the Nearest the Pin were David Rhodes (HC) on 6^th and Gavin Little (JOG) on 8^th.

Detailed results are shown below.

Tony Lloyd & Phil Armstrong                lost 2 & 1

Len Greaves & Fred Williams                won 2&1

Nic Seeley & Jed Isbell                           won 2& 1

Ken Brewer & Graham Gadsden          lost 7 & 6

Richard Young & Gerry Degaute          lost 3 & 2

Steve Luckman & Gavin Little               won 5 & 4

Oz Osman & Paul Hammond                lost 2 & 1

Trevor Darrington & Rob Ebsworth    lost 1 down

 

A 5 - 3 loss overall.

Notes of the Seniors Committee Meeting May 3 2024

 

Seniors Committee meeting Friday May 3 2024

Present: Richard Westergreen-Thorne (RWT), Jonathan Lean (JL), Algy Grimes (AG), Nigel Underwood (NU), Dave Wood (DW), Tony Lloyd (TL), Peter Wade (PW)

1 Minutes previous: accepted

2 Peter Wade

A discussion was held with Peter on a range of topics including:

·       Issues around thunder and lightning, the Seniors’ response to the storm that interrupted the Jock Allan Prostate Cancer Day and how to improve the club’s reaction to such extreme weather events

·       Progress on the new structure of governance at the club

·       The Senior Section’s ambitions for a staggered start for matches

3  Matters Arising not elsewhere on agenda: None

 

4 Captain's Update (RWT)

The golfing season is now in full swing with matches and competitions every week until the end of October.

At the time of writing, we have played five matches so far this year and it has been really positive to see seven members new to inter club matches taking part. There have been several constants in our matches so far, they have been good fun, played in good spirits and we have given a lot of shots to the other club. I look forward to the upcoming matches and hope to see even more ‘newbies’ taking part.

It was a pleasure to be involved in the Prostate Project Charity Day and it was its usual well organised success despite the weather on the day. The concerns regarding the thunder and lightning soon after we set off to play have been raised with the club for future reference for any other event that encounters a similar issue. There will also be a review meeting of the organising committee shortly to look over the arrangements with thoughts for tweaks for next year. It feels right that it is now officially part of the Senior Section annual calendar of events.

The new arrangements for the management of the club and the role of the Club Captain mean that there will now be a Captains Committee that is responsible for much of the arrangements that relate to our golf such as charities, house and social, handicaps, etc. The first meeting of this committee has been set for 13^th May and, as I nor Tony are able to attend on that date Jonathan has kindly agreed to represent us.

As I am going to be away a couple of times before the end of May I am particularly keen to sort the arrangements and publicise the Longest Day Challenge as it is not very long before we need to be letting people know about it. I can update you on progress at the meeting. It would also be good to set some of the planning arrangements in place for coordinating charities for 2025 before the end of the year given the lead time required for things like fourball vouchers.

I have also liaised with the club regarding an event to unveil the boards and Gordon and Paula are keen to help to make the arrangements when we are in a position to fix a date. They are happy to support whatever we set up.

All I now need to do is fix my golf and I am all set for the rest of the year

Note: Further discussion was held on the section’s representation on the club’s Captains’ Committee, Charities Committee, Handicap Committee and House and Social Committee. JL to attend the next Captains’ Committee on behalf of RWT

RWT also reported verbally that he had responded to a recent request for information from the club regarding the use of the Honorarium and the costs associated with being the Seniors Captain. This was part of a survey and review involving all those who receive an honorarium. He had also recently attended the funeral of Richard Aubigne on behalf of the seniors.

5 Vice Captain's Update (TL)

 (TL) had contacted the family of a member who has not been seen for some time and our concerns were allayed.

6 Immediate Past Captain's Update (JL): JL outlined a potential issue concerning on course etiquette during a recent competition.

7 Treasurer's Update (BD)

All comps and Matches up to date ( to Camb Country Club). Aspley Guise Home not yet processed .

New process with Clubhouse and Finance seems to be working well.

Cash position - Bank Balance £1693.61. Debtors £768. Potential debtor ( Camb Country Club non reciprocal arrangement) - awaiting confirmation.

Cash reserves depleted due to Home matches - but manageable.

Pleased to see 4BBB back in the schedule - helps with the overall year position.

No other changes to budget expected at this stage

8 Honorary Secretary’s Update (TL)

The 2025 calendar is almost complete, with all the competitions and all but two of the matches agreed with Nigel Tarn and entered on the calendar. The two outstanding match dates – Cambridge Country Club and Leighton Buzzard – are tacitly agreed but awaiting confirmation from them. I don’t anticipate a problem.

I will be sitting down with Tom Simm in the next week or two to discuss the Senior Captain’s Day and input from the Pro Shop.

The Rules Seminar with Joan Cocksedge was well attended and went very well. It provided a good talking point for the newsletter and blog and, once again, puts the senior section at the forefront of club activities.

I have had little feedback to speak of following our decision to maintain the status quo with regards to the Tuesday/Thursday roll-up. One suggestion put to me was to have a WhatsApp group for the roll-up but I remain concerned that WhatsApp chats can become a vehicle for unsavoury jokes and I think that, for the time being, the newsletter is the best vehicle for spreading information.

I have signed up one new member into the senior section – John Gibson – who seems to have been a member at John O’Gaunt for about 12 years.

9 Competition Secretary’s Update (JL)

Since the last meeting there has been just one competition – the Ken Robinson Scramble.  84 entrants which was perfect until we had one very late withdrawal the day before.  Many thanks to George Burnham for stepping in at the last moment.

Modesty forbids me from reporting the winners in full but I had worthy partners who played to their full potential.

The draw for the Annual Medal and Jubilee Trophy has now been done.  There are 89 entries.  Medals are not quite as popular as Stableford competitions.

I have also done the draw for the Holmwood Plate now that the first round of the Green Tilley has been completed.  First round to be played by 25^th June.

The first Individual Stableford Roll-up had to be abandoned because of the weather.  The next one is scheduled for 23^rd May.

Entry for the Rex Cleaver is now open and at the time of writing we have 70 entrants.

 

10 Match Secretary’s Update (AG)

Since the last meeting we have played four matches, two home and two away. The first of these saw our first win of the season, at home to Wellingborough by 5 – 3, well done to the team. However, we didn’t fair too well in the other three, at home to Cambridge Country Club we lost 5½ - 2½, followed by a very well fought draw away at Aspley Guise 4 – 4 and then our worst result so far away at Brocket Hall, another 12 a side match, where we lost 6 – 0. It does seem that we are always giving more shots than we receive, for example the difference in the Cambridge match was 112 shots in their favour. We have had some members playing in their first Interclub matches and all so far report how they enjoyed the events.

 Tranche 3 closes on Monday 6^th May, and I have asked Dave Wood to meet with me after the competition on Tuesday next, and so that I can show him how the system works and to select the teams. Out of the 6 matches in this tranche, five of them are at home. We have a very healthy sign up for four of the matches each being mid to high 20’s. We only have 15 for the 12 places in the return against Brocket Hall. For St Neots at home we have only 18 signed up so only two reserves. The most popular in this tranche is away to Northampton with 25 including 9 Jokers.

Note: It was agreed to bring the menu and price for our home match against Brocket Hall into line with our other matches.

AG said Tranche 4 matches would be opened soon when a “Matches Special” newsletter would be sent out

 

11 Staggered Start Update

Discussion was held on the best way to advance the section’s ambition for staggered start in matches against other clubs. It was agreed that proper procedure should be followed in putting the proposals to the relevant club committee.

12 Events

- Member and Guest Day – NU confirmed final plans for the day which were agreed.

- Senior Captain’s Day – TL outlined progress on his planning for the event

- Christmas Fayre – to be discussed at the next meeting

- Presentation Dinner - DW outlined his proposed menu and costings which were agreed

- Swap day and Away Day: TL to publicise both events in the newsletter

13 Honours Boards informal "unveiling". The new boards were almost ready and further plans were laid for an informal opening ceremony to which past winners would be invited

14 54-hole challenge - Jonathan to attend charity committee meeting on our behalf

15 Joe Ogunremi's funeral: DW to attend on behalf of the Seniors

Any Other Business: AG to seek a supplier for a new batch of ties

 Dates of future Meetings

18th July /22nd August /3rd October /5th November /14th January

 

 

 

Seniors Annual Medal & Jubilee Cup April 6 2024

 

Winner Kevin Cocker with Seniors Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne

Congratulations to Kevin Cocker for first place in the Seniors Annual Medal played from the white tees on John O'Gaunt.

He came in with a nett 69 which included nine pars and a birdie on the 4th.

In second place on nett 70 was Geoff Scott and in third on nett 72 was Graham Gadsden.

Winner of the Jubilee Cup for the best player with a handicap of 21 or over was Geoff Scott.

The result changed the Golfer of the Year leaderboard as you can see below. 

Player		Played	Wins	Highest Points	Best 6 Results Points
1st	Paul Jones	2		20	36
2nd	Graham Gadsden	2		19	35
3rd	Kevin Cocker	2	1	21	22
4th	Keith Howlett	1	1	21	21
5th	Geoff Scott	2		20	21
6th	Robert Anderson	1		19	19
7th	Cavan Kendall	2		18	19
8th	David List	1		18	18
9th =	Paul Clark	2		17	18
9th =	Leonard Greaves	2		17	18

Geoff Scott: Second place and winner of the Jubilee Cup

Graham Gadsden: third place

Eighty-three players entered the competition.

The next GOTY qualifier is the Rex Cleaver Championship Trophy on June 4 when it could be all change yet again. 

Your best 6 results from the 9 qualifying competitions in the year count towards the Order of Merit.

Twenty points are awarded for winning a competition, 19 points for second etc down to 1 point for 20th place.
All players are awarded 1 point for entering and completing the competition.

You can check your position on the GOTY leaderboard by going onto the club website and clicking on Competitions, then Ongoing, then Senior Section Golfer of the Year.

Ken Robinson Scramble April 30 2024

 

Winners of the Ken Robinson Scramble Jonathan Lean, Bob Isaacson, Paul Jones and Trevor Darrington with Seniors Captain Richard Westergreen-Thorne

Congratulations to everyone who competed in the Ken Robinson Scramble in warm sunshine on the Carthagena course. The teams were chosen to even out the combined handicaps and it seemed to work, with only seven shots separating the whole field of 21 groups.

Winners, with 57 nett points were Jonathan Lean, Bob Isaacson, Paul Jones and Trevor Darrington.

In second place on 58 points were Vernon Toms, Clive Gardiner, Phil Armstrong and Tony Lloyd.

In third place, also on 58 but beaten on countback, were Rob Ebsworth, Ian Simpson, Sam Standen and Ned Yorke.

£10 Raffle prize winners were Paul Hammond, Ian Murray, Vernon Toms and Phil Armstrong. The money will be added to their pro shop accounts.

Second place: Tony Lloyd and Phil Armstrong plus Vernon Toms and Clive Gardiner

Third place: Sam Standen, Ned Yorke, Ian Simpson and Rob Ebsworth