Competitions
Competitions
Hawtree – Team A Rd 3 v Little Hay
Result: 3-2 Loss
Winning pairs: Martin & Tracy Wright, Jon Cooper & Di Jackett
Losing pairs: Ian & Julie Smith, Dave William & Maureen Slade, Kerry Sargeant & Sheena Harrington
We finally got to play our match against Little Hay 8 weeks after the last round, and sadly could not continue our winning ways being beaten 3 – 2.
As in the previous round we were mainly giving shots to the opposition but our victorious pairings made it look easy – Di Jackett & Jon Cooper winning 7 & 6 and Tracy & Martin Wright by 5 & 4.
Unfortunately the rest of us didn’t, with yours truly continuing an unbroken record of never having won a Hawtree match. Little Hay’s team had combinations of low men and high ladies which worked for 3 of their pairs, but obviously not the others!
They made us very welcome all seeming to be a friendly bunch and we enjoyed our day there.
Rickmansworth – Home Leg
Result: 2-4 Loss
Winning pairs: Tony Archdale & Tony Pickard, Paul Grand & Toby Hunt
Losing pairs: David Marsh & John Ahad; Also: Stan Potts, Vic Wadley, Geoff Foreman, Bob Marshall, Peter Cunningham and one other.
I can advise that the Rickmansworth home friendly was lost 4-2 in perfect golfing weather. Unusually, play took place on Prince’s. The return match will require effort, skill and luck to reverse the form.
The pairing of Paul and Toby led the way by securing a 6&5 win over the opposing Captain Gary and his partner Gordon. With 46 points the home sweep was also theirs.
After the match with splendid wholesome food at The Dysart, their captain revealed Rickmansworth’s proud tradition competing in Bournemouth week with some personal anecdotes from his 12 attendances.
Smokers will recall a loud clatter in the outside seating area which turned out to be a boomerang that went astray from Richmond Park. Fortunately nobody was injured and the owners rather sheepishly collected the object.
Association Cup
The Club came second to White Lodge by just one point. More…
Mitcham (Ladies) – Home Leg
Result: 3-1 Win
The first leg of this annual friendly between Mitcham & RPGC took place on Saturday 11th June with the Richmond Ladies running out winners 3-1.
As current holders of the trophy this gives us a great head start for retaining it this year. The Mitcham team was fielding a relatively inexperienced side as many of their ladies were competing in a NAPGC event, however, this merely meant that we Richmond ladies had to give that many more shots as their handicaps were quite high.
Everyone enjoyed both their match and the meal afterwards at the Dysart. Indeed there were many comments on how well we treat them after the game, which compensates for the lengthy time spent on the course!
The team comprised:
Sheena Harrington & Doreen Dolby
Maureen Slade & Kate Friswell
Cathryn Leftwich & Jini Beacham
Lia Donath & Ann Gardner
Well done ladies and let’s make sure we win at Mitcham!
Hawtree – Team B Rd 2 At Huntswood
Result: tba
Report to appear here.
Clapham Common – Rd 2 v Basildon C
Result: Loss by 30 points
Home team
David Marsh & Michael Rossiter
Jon Cooper & Peter Harrington
Rob Urquhart & Richard Owen
Away team
Kerry Sargeant & Toby Hunt
Ian Smith & George Martin
Phil Flanagan & Tim Meyer
On a day of heavy showers and horrendous rough the disappointed home team made a valiant effort to overhaul last year’s National winners, who surrendered nothing in terms of skill and good fortune.
Basildon had clearly lost none of their strong competitiveness to win, and win they did, by 9 points at home and 21 away.
Whitewebbs – Team B Rd 2 Home to Bird Hill
Result: 3½-1½ Win
The team comprised Sheena Harrington, Anne Koychev, Maureen Slade, Julie Smith and Tracy Wright.
As with our Hawtree team, the Richmond Park team were the givers and not the receivers, with Anne having to give 2 shots on 4 holes, her opponent receiving 22 shots. It was only in Maureen’s game that no shots were exchanged with this game going to the 18th green before Maureen sunk the winning putt.
Needless to say this statistic in their favour only enhanced their already very friendly approach to the afternoon, despite one of their team preferring to be watching the FA Cup Final. Although I’m sure that once she found out the result she wasn’t so bothered.
The weather (cloudbursts on & off most of the morning) and the Cup Final were helpful in keeping people away from the course, but despite not having to wait too much, if at all, at most of the holes the round still took 5 hours courtesy of the penal rough around our newly narrow fairways. Fortunately for us, we spent more time looking for the Bird Hill balls than we did our own, a fact reflected in our victory.
Hawtree – Team A Rd 2 Home to Ruislip
Result: 3-2 Win
Winning pairs: Ian & Julie Smith, Martin & Tracy Wright, Jon Cooper & Di Jackett
Losing pairs: Dave William & Maureen Slade, George Martin & Sheena Harrington
The Hawtree Team A had a splendid win against a team from Ruislip who in the past have lifted the trophy in three consecutive years and who more recently (last year) won the regional final.
Team optimism was not high going onto the first tee as all our pairings had to give a minimum of 5 shots with Ian & Julie giving a massive 16 shots. The outcome came down to the final pair of Jon & Di who nailed the result after going dormie (don’t know how to spell this) 2 up at the 16th and sealing the win on the next hole.
Despite their obvious confidence in the outcome, Ruislip sent a very friendly and affable team, coping as well as we did with the effect of playing foursomes behind the clubs’ four balls and the day was enjoyed by all members of both teams.
We now look forward to our 3rd round match against Little Hay.
Whitewebbs – Team A Rd 1 at Portsmouth
Result: 2-3 Loss
Portsmouth is a hilly course overlooking the Solent to the south and the Downs to the north. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight to the west and the views are magnificent from many of the tees. As a matter of interest it has just been taken over by Glendale with a lease of 25 years.
Richmond’s intrepid Team A travelled to Portsmouth on 10th April to play their match, led by Cheryl Woodhouse with Molly Hood, Sonia Inniss, Ros Lake and Pia Langeland making up the team.
The format is match play. This year, for the first time, each player played off their full handicap difference and not 3/4 as in previous years.
The weather turned from cloudy and blustery to a sunny warm spring day resulting in those magnificent views. Although Cheryl won her game the others were not as fortunate. The Team A has therefore been eliminated from the competition.
Cheryl would like to thank her team for their sterling efforts losing only after hard fought rounds of golf and especially to welcome Pia to her first external match play competition.