Golfers rise to the Corporate Challenge at Cowdray

On a wet day all the finalists found the conditions challenging with scoring matching the inclement weather. The best individual score of the day came from Guy Harwood, chairman at Harwoods Group, with a very creditable 32 points.

The winning team were HT Supplies from Chichester, who came in with 89 Stableford points and won on countback from Ian Hamlets’ team West Sussex Office Furniture.

All the competitors commented on how well the course was presented and Harvey Terry from HT Supplies thanked Harwoods for the excellent competition and said the winners were looking forward to enjoying the team prize of four days of golf in Sunny Spain.

Pictured is Guy Harwood congratulating the winning team – from left to right Harvey Terry, Guy Harwood, John Doran and Guy Goodens

The newly-formed Cowdray Golf Society is proving very popular with other golf club members and golf societies.

The aim of the society is to bring together like-minded people who have a love of the game and who wish to play through the autumn and winter months on a course acclaimed for its fantastic conditions and now voted the No1 course in Sussex by Golfshake.com.

Anyone who registers for the golf society can enter some great events sponsored by some best high-street names meaning great prizes plus discounted green fees at Cowdray, its sister course Chiddingfold Golf Club and Estapona in Spain.

In addition there will be many opportunities under the society umbrella to gain professional coaching on your game with the team at Cowdray. Anyone who would like more information on the society should contact Kate at [email protected] or call 01780 813599.

The day after Bonfire Night, the fireworks continued at Cowday Park when the the two sections of the seniors – the 71-and-unders and the 72-and-overs, locked horns in their annual battle for the Jimmy Thompson Spoon, donated by a past professional.

The previous year’s winners, the ‘old guys’, were determined to hold on to the trophy, and show the ‘young upstarts’ who ruled the roost.

The format was better-ball matchplay, to count over the full 18 holes. The older generation were allowed to tee off from the forward yellow tees, while the younger players had to concede distance by teeing off from the back white tees.

The only difference this year was that the head greenkeeper had not been nobbled to move the white tees even further back!

Following a heavy overnight frost, tee times were delayed by 30 minutes to allow the course to clear.

Seniors’ captain Brian Brockhurst and competitions secretary Bill Hummerston set off first for the youngsters but were beaten by one hole by a winning partnership from last year, Mike Nobes and Mick King.

Tony Castley and Peter Laws managed to extract a one-hole win over the older pair of Wally Mitchell and Rodney Fisher.

The following three matches went to the over-72s to give them an early lead of 7-1, and it did not look good for the under-71s before John Renwick and Sam Howes came in with an eight-hole win for a slight overall lead.

After the penultimate group returned, the score was 23-20 in favour of the young ones. However the final match involving David Tilley and Mick Morling, turned the whole afternoon around when they recorded an eight-hole victory to give their side a 28-23 win and retain the trophy.

Scores: 71-and-unders: Tony Castley & Peter Laws won +1;John Renwick & Sam Howes +8; Dave Darby & Mike Hughes +4; John Doran & Derek Smith +1; Graham Thompson & Gordon Kendall +2; Brian Carpenter & Jan de Vries +2; Gary Strowbridge & David Manning +2; Clive Brine & Mick Folkes +3. 72s-and-over: Mike Nobes & Mick King +1; Phil Pett & Peter Clarke +4;Mike Burgess & Barry Overington +1:Peter Burton & Ken Young +1;Richard Cockman & Neville Gibbons +3;Terry Jasper & Colin Tebbutt +6; Bill Leath & Pat Harrison +4;David Tilley & Mick Morling +8.

Cowdray ladies played a Texas scramble in teams of three with low, medium and high handicaps.

Results: 1 Wendy Street, Sue Morris, Di Hardcastle 38pts; 2 Angela Pike, Susie Brockhurst, Ann Laver 31; 3 Polly Davenport, Frances Marjoram, Jenny Nichols 31.

CHICHESTER

The monthly medal was well supported and contested. With a nett 68, Caroline Hawkes took the winners’ prize.

In second place on countback with a nett 70 was Wendy Jeffery and third was Liz Fraser. Caroline was also successful in the following Saturday’s qualifying Stableford with 35 points.

The autumn round of the annual Four Seasons competition was played. Scores from both Tuesday and Saturday matches were amalgamated and the winner on countback with 39 points was Kathy Donohoe, which resulted in a handicap cut to 4.2.

Second was Trish Robertson, also with 39, and third was Lisa Mitchelmore with 38.

The Autumn Irons competition was fiercely contested. The eventual winner on countback was a fairly new member, Fiona Walsh, with 36 points. Second was Lisa Jackson and third was Angela Perkins with 33.

The Cathedral Cup and Tower Trophy were decided on the same day. Ladies whose handicaps are higher than 29 play for the Tower Trophy and those whose handicaps are lower play for the Cathedral Cup.

In-form Lisa Jackson won with 39 points; second was Sandi Johnstone with 38 and third was Sang Porter with 37.

Sue Winterbotham won the Tower Trophy with 42 points. Close second with 41 was Jane Buckley and third was Pam Hart with 36.

The ladies’ Saturday medal was won by Lisa Mitchelmore with a nett 71, ahead of Amanda Mackenzie with 79. Saturday ladies also played for the Weekend Trophy. The winner was Sang Porter with 41 points, which resulted in a handicap but to 4.8. Second was Fiona Walsh with 37 points and third was Rachel Greenland with 36.

Two medal rounds were played in consecutive weeks. Fiona Walsh won with nett 67, Jennifer Sherwood was second with 73 and third on countback was Lisa Jackson with 76.

The next week, Trish Robertson won the competition with nett 66, which resulted in a handicap cut of six shots. Second with nett 82 was Kathy Donohoe and third on countback was Maria Mills with 83.

The ladies played a fun three sixes competition. The winning team with 66 points was Sandi Johnstone, Sue Winterbotham and Val Swain.

Second with 65 points were Pauline Beale, Barbara Hastewell and a ghost partner. Mary-Lou Litton won the Saturday qualifying Stableford with 39 points.

BOGNOR

Bognor seniors held their last ‘major’ of the year – a double competition where all individuals enter the Poppy Day competition and members who were in one of the services played for that them in a team competition.

There was a great turnout with more than 50 players on a cold, breezy day. The winning service team was the Army, with Peter McCormack taking the trophy on their behalf.

Results: Highest Navy scorer – Brian Madgwick 34pts; Highest Army scorer Phil Lee 35; Highest RAF scorer Mike Wilson 32.

In the Poppy Day competition, Keith Simpson won with 41 points, second was Tony Wells with 40, third was Chris Hickling with 39. Fourth was Gary Steventon with 38. There were closest-the-pins prizes for Phil Lee, Gerry O’Neill and John Harnett.

Bognor ladies played a four-clubs-and-a-putter competition.

Sue Melloy scored twos on the second, tenth and 15th.

Results: Silver: 1 Sue Melloy 40pts; 2 Sian Southerton 36; 3 Nicola Holton 33; 4 Dora Vaughan 30. Bronze A: 1 Louise Colvin 34; 2 Berit Smallcorn 32; 3 Edwina Beresford 31. Bronze B: 1 Mary Hardy 34; 2 Kim Mercer 33; 3 Jane Finch 28 ocb. Bronze C: 1 Suzanne Burns 25; 2 Beryl Payne 20.