Rain? A spot doesn't bother new captain Dot

Dot Collyer, Chichester Golf Club's incoming lady captain, was serenaded with a short rendition of Swinging' in the Rain as she made her way through the traditional arch of clubs.
Dot Collyer is welcomed in the wet as Chichester's new ladies' captainDot Collyer is welcomed in the wet as Chichester's new ladies' captain
Dot Collyer is welcomed in the wet as Chichester's new ladies' captain

Club members made charity bids on which club would be drawn for her drive-in. It was her seven-wood, with which Dot dispatched the ball down the first fairway to a distance of 106 yards.

A Bowmaker competition followed with 36 ladies taking part. The winning team on countback with 76 points was Lesly Hance, Val Edwards and Lis Campling. Runners-up were Kathy Donohoe, Sandi Johnstone and Wendy Jeffery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Money raised for the lady captain’s charities totalled £364.

GOODWOOD

The Sussex girls’ development Squad enjoyed a weekend at the English Regional Performance centre at the Golf At Goodwood Academy.

Coached by Kerry Knowles, former English ladies’ champion and ladies’ European Tour player, the girls were put through their paces with a selection of short-game skill tests as well specific focus on course management, club selection and yardage decision making.

Knowles said: “My experience on tour has taught me the value of a holistic approach to coaching to enable players to reach their full potential while keeping it fun. This is incredibly important when coaching the development squad as they need to continue to enjoy playing and practising but in a slightly more structured and thoughtful way.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She had assistance from former Sussex first-team player and PGA professional Amy Yeates and Amber Cockram, a current Sussex first-teamer and previous junior captain.

BOGNOR

The Brian Poston Greensome winners were Alan Burrage and Roger Leverton, while the Jack Lemmer Trophy winner was Alan Fitzgerald, who will be seniors’ captain in 2014.

The Fletcher Trophy winner was Brian Madgwick and the Tregar Trophy winner was Terry Haigh.

Bognor seniors have moved straight into their winter season. Four local clubs many years ago thought it would be useful to continue with the games over winter and since then Bognor, Waterlooville, Rowlands Castle and Petersfield have played home and away to each other from November to March.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bognor played two games on successive weekdays and both were blighted by horrible weather conditions.

In the first game, Bognor travelled to Petersfield and the game started, but a huge prolonged downpour curtailed the match after about two hours and an honourable draw was agreed between captains.

In the second match, Waterlooville visited Bognor on a day of incessant rain and drizzle. Everyone came back looking like drowned rats, proclaiming they’d enjoyed themselves and Waterlooville had only the slightest of edges with a 4½-3½ win over the home team.

There was animated discussion over lunch as to whether Christmas shopping with wives would have been more fun but the general agreement was a thorough soaking on the golf course was preferable.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bognor seniors can look forward to doing it all again next year. It was also agreed that the course was in excellent condition considering the amount of rain we’ve had in the past few weeks.

Results: David Turner & Alan Delves lost 2 down, Chris Hickling & Frank Hodder lost 4&3, Ken Catt & Mike Wadley lost 3&1, Gary Steventon & Roger Selway won 2 up, Richard Hedge & Andy James halved, Derek Whiting & Vic Ward halved, Clive Millett & John Woodhead won 5&4, Hugh Diaper & Peter Collins halved.

Congratulations to Ron Stevens, Paul Archer, Gee Fenwick and John Harnett for winning the Bognor men’s fourball team event with 118 points on countback from Pete Lea, Alan Simmonds, Alan Entecott and Gordon Catt. Third with 115 were father and son Rob and Lee Redmond, Jake Vines and Frank Gibbs.

COWDRAY PARK

The sun was a welcome sight when 90 Cowdray Park seniors teed off for their November Stableford, but it was accompanied by an icy strong wind which seemed to affect scoring on the day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The winning score was 36, achieved by only three of the maximum field, and only five twos were achieved.

Of the early starters, David Laver came in with the best score of 35 points in division two, a lead which he held until much later.

Other creditable early scores came from Nick Austin (34), and Graham Evans, Phil Harrison and Roger Poat with 33. Mel Milburn returned with an excellent 35, but was held by Laver on countback, while, playing alongside Milburn, Peter Burton made a determined challenge with three successive pars on the back nine for a total of 32.

Soon 79-year-old Ray Dowse, fresh from his stunning success in the under-over-70s match, came in with 35 to take second place behind David Laver.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another veteran, Irishman Pat Bonner, proved he could still compete with the best, returning a winning score in division one of 36 points and earning a further handicap reduction.

This follows his successes in the Yellowlees Quaich and the Seniors’ open over-75s division.

Second place in division one went to Cliff Davis with 35 points, on countback from Gordon Kendall. Then came the overall winning score of 36 points, on countback, from big-hitting Philip Singer from division two.

Runner-up in division two, also with 36 points, was Graham Thompson, who put himself in the mix for the Carter Trophy. The day was notable for two reasons - the return of Dave Hirons after a serious stomach operation and newcomer Adam Gramston making his mark with a top-ten finish.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cowdray Park seniors’ marathon season of inter-club matches lasted for seven months and involved 43 fixtures.

Buoyed by the success of the club’s title-winning Surrey & West Sussex Winter League side, the season opened with a journey to Blackmoor , a notably difficult side to beat, but, on this occasion, Cowdray came away with a stunning 7½-½ win, later complemented by a win at Cowdray.

Further home and away wins came against Worthing, Hindhead, The Dyke and Pyecombe. The wins at Worthing and Hindhead were all the more creditable as these course are probably the toughest and most demanding courses played during the year, and the teams faced are as strong as any.

In addition to their double over Pyecombe, Cowdray entered a team in the Pyecombe seniors’ open team event under the leadership of Roy Penrose, and duly won it again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The first home match of the season against Ham Manor provided a narrow home win but was marred by the visiting captain being taken ill on the course and having to retire.

Cowdray’s general manager, Phil Stevens, drove John Barr back to his home in Angmering after he had been checked over by paramedics.

The season ended, as it always does, at Corhampton, where the result was an excellent draw in one of the most popular fixtures in the calendar, and was notable for the first success as a player at this venue for match manager Wally Mitchell.

LITTLEHAMPTON

His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk, who is president of Littlehampton Golf Club, was in attendance to present the annual prizewinners with their trophies. The clubhouse was packed with members and their families to witness 37 trophies being awarded - including the club championship, won for the tenth time by Wayne Hawes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wayne also went on to win the prestigious Sussex PGA Open Championship and receiving this trophy from the Duke.

Club captain Carl Stabler thanked the Duke for giving his time to attend the annual prizegiving, and the Duke said he considered it an honour to be the president of such a friendly and well-run club.

He commented on the uniqueness of the layout, mainly links but with a short stretch of parkland golf. He said he always madean effort to play the course as often as time permitted.

The summer season had been rounded off earlier in the day with a team event won by Glenn Hendry, Mike Smith, Stephen Luckham, Dean Hendry, Simon French, Nick Kalli, Sam Dix and Chris Sykes with an aggregate Stableford score of 158 points.

Despite recent heavy rainfall, the course was fully open with no temporary winter greens and more than 100 members, gents and ladies competed for prizes - a perfect way to close the summer season.

Related topics: