Club Matches
Club Matches
Clapham Common – Rd 5 v Hoebridge Golf Club
Result: Loss 220-211
Home team (+??)
tba
Away team (+?)
tba
Richmond Park’s excellent run in this year’s Clapham Common Platinum Shield & Ellis Cup finally came to an end in the Area Final, when we came up against the strong team from Hoebridge A.
It was a close match that we only narrowly lost 220- 211. This has been by far our best performance in this NAPGC event for the past few years and perhaps a stepping stone for the future, with several new team members and pairings blooded this year.
Clapham Common Match v Hoebridge
The Club’s run in the Clapham Common competition came to an end against Hoebridge. More…
Clapham Common – Rd 4 v tba
Result: tba
Home team (+??)
tba
Away team (+?)
tba
Report due soon…
Clapham Common – Rd 3 v Hurst Golf Club
Result: tba
Home team (+??)
tba
Away team (+?)
tba
Report due soon…
Clapham Common – Rd 2 v Thorney Park Golf Club
Result: Win by 19 points
Home team (+14)
Julian Diamond & Richard Owen
John Bennett & Martin Wright
Dave Winter & Toby Hunt
Away team (+5)
Kerry Sargeant & Graeme Syme
Ian Smith & Paul Grand
Jason Loubser & Jon Cooper
Our second Clapham Common outing of the year – this time against Thorney Park.
At one time I thought we had the dream team out, but once again other commitments deprived us of some of our better – and in form – players (which means I was in the team again). A big ‘thank you’ to the club members who stood in at the last minute and turned out for us.
Thorney Park was a great venue, in fine condition with plenty of water and enough wind to make it very interesting. The Thorney Park team were a pleasure to play with and the games all very tight.
Our first game was Kerry Sergeant and Graeme Syme. After three holes they had one point only, but finished with 35 points and a three shot winning margin. Next came Ian Smith and Paul Grand who led their opponents in by one point and finally Jason Loubser and myself who were looking at three blow outs after three holes but did manage to pull things around to score 33 points, one more than our opponents. Overall we had a five point margin away and were delighted to get the telephone call form the home team to announce their 14 point winning margin.
The top home team pair were John Bennett and Martin Wright – and as luck would have it they were the only pair to have playing partners with a higher total. Richard Owen and Julian Diamond and Dave Winter and Toby Hunt both had big leads to provide a decisive 19 point overall victory.
Our next match is against Hurst and must be played by June 25th. Once again I will be trying to put out a team that does not have me in it…….
Hawtree – Team A Rd 1 At Abbey Hill
Result: 2-3 Loss
Team
Martin & Tracy Wright
Ian & Julie Smith
Kerry Sergeant & Di Jackett
Jon Cooper & Doreen Dolby
Jason Loubser & Veronica Mitchell
The Richmond Park team traipsed miles up the M1 to Milton Keynes to play Abbey Hill in the first round of the Hawtree. This is a mixed competition consisting of 5 mixed pairs a side playing foursomes match play. Each pair alternate tee shots and then take turns to play after that until the hole is finished. Shots are decided by taking half the combined handicap differences.
Excitement started early with one carload of three team players understanding that the tee off was an hour later than it was. Fortunately they are conscientious team members and got there early for the later incorrect tee time. This meant they arrived in the nick of time and rushed off to play their match. Probably not the ideal start and I apologise if my instructions were inadequate.
The first pair out were Tracey and Martin Wright who met a tough pair of opponents and found themselves 5 down after 10. They dug deep and clawed back to all square standing on the 18th tee. They feel justifiably peeved that Martin’s drive found a hidden pond that their opponents had not mentioned existed. I suppose all is fair in golf but it seemed a rotten way to lose the match – one down after a terrific fight back.
Next off were Ian and Julie Smith who had to give 7 shots. They too ran into tough opponents and ran out 3 and 2 losers. Jason Loubser and Veronica Mitchell paired up for their first taste of Hawtree golf and a fine job they made of it, pulling out an easy 4 and 3 victory to put Richmond back in the chase.
Kerry Sergeant and Di Jackett tore the course up. They played a brother (off 1) and his sister but never looked like losing the match. Kerry and Di were some 4 over par when they won the match on the 13th – 6 and 5!
This left the match all square and gave your captain another chance to make a name for himself. Unfortunately it turned out to be ‘pratt’. I partnered Doreen Dolby who carried me pretty well but we spent most of the match one down. We pulled back to level with three to play, one up with two to play – and knowing the outcome of the match rested with us I could see glory coming our way. Unfortunately I couldn’t see the green on the 17th and so we stood all square on the 18th tee. To cut a long story short – their 2 handicapper hit a magnificent shot some 220 yards for 2, leaving an uphill 8 foot putt. Doreen hit a fantastic iron over several bunkers and onto the green leaving yours truly a tricky 20 foot right to left downhill putt. Needless to say, Doreen missed the 12 foot uphill putt to tie the game and Richmond exited the Hawtree by the narrowest of margins.
My opponents were great to pay with – as I believe all the Abbey Hill team were, and we wish them the best of luck in round two.
Whitewebbs – Team B Rd 1 against Tilgate Forest
Result: tba
Team
Doreen Dolby, Molly Hood, Veronica Mitchell, Jan Oliver and Cathryn Leftwich
Report to appear here.
Clapham Common – Rd 1 v Iver Golf Club
Result: Win by 11 points
Home team (+16)
Rob Urquhart & Richard Owen
Toby Hunt & Dave Winter
David Marsh & Jason Loubser
Away team (-5)
Jon Cooper & Phil Flanagan
Ian Smith & Nick Heale
Graeme Syme & Tim Meyer
RPGC started the year with a stonking victory over Iver Golf Club. The format is teams of six on the home course and six on the away course playing greensomes stableford. The total points for both teams are added up home and away and the most points overall wins.
Getting 12 players for the Bank Holiday weekend was no easy task, and I would like to thank all of you who turned out and did such a sterling job. Iver is a tricky 9 holer and your Captain made his first big mistake by encouraging the team to practice on the very fast putting green. The Iver team sat in the clubhouse and watched the lambs practice putting, knowing this was the only green not sanded and hollow tined, ensuring three putts for most players for the first six holes!
The away team fielded two new members to ‘team golf’ in Nick Heale and Graeme Syme. Graeme partnered Tim Meyer and achieved a very creditable 28 points, whilst Nick carried – I mean played with – Ian and also achieved 28 points. I played with Phil Flanagan, who decided this was a good day to try out his new spectacles. I now know what ‘astigmatism’ means, the glasses having an inbuilt bias for all putts of 5 feet to the right. Suffice it to say I would not park next to Phil for the next week or two until he gets used to them. It did, however, provide me with a ‘first’ as Phil started to ask me to read his putts for him. Hitherto, no-one has ever let me read anything for them, including the local rules. Phil and I three putted our way to a stunning 29 points. Overall, we lost away to Iver by 5 points. We then waited an hour for the home team results (a three and a half hour round at Iver – really!).
Eventually the results came through. Our secret weapon – Richard Owen and Robert Urquhart – had burned up the course with 39 points – a massive 14 more than their playing partners. Dave Marsh and Jason Loubser (another welcome new team player) beat their playing partners by three and Toby Hunt and Dave Winter met expectations with a reliable and hefty 35 points. Thanks to the away team holding on – and the home team winning by an amazing 16 points – the first round ended in a win for Richmond Park.
Whitewebbs – Team A Rd 1 At Portsmouth
Result: 2-3 Loss
Ladies Team A (Julie, Lia, Lorna, Sheena, Tracy) met Portsmouth in the 1st round of the White Webbs Competition. It was closely contested, with two matches halving, and these could easily have gone either way. Portsmouth won 3-2. Thank you to the team for a vigorous effort.
Whitewebbs Team B Results
The Ladies fell to Sandown Park in Round 3 of this NAPGC competition and promptly took consolation in some retail therapy. More…