2010 Report

The season commenced with the Spring Meeting on 7th May at the Surbiton Golf Club. The winner of the Jack Ryman Cup was John Sear with 38 points. 23 attended in dry and sunny weather. The other notable event was a hole in one at the 12th achieved by John Pickworth, a regular guest of Alan Wood. We were kindly sponsored by  Office Team.   At the Annual General Meeting Hugh Sear succeeded Chris Lee as Captain and Geoffrey Betts was nominated as vice-captain. The Secretary and Treasurer were re-elected.

The next meeting was held in somewhat damp conditions on 10th June at one of our favourite venues, Camberley Heath.  This meeting was sponsored by Red Box and 34 attended. The John Bond Cup was won by Nigel de Koning with 34 pts.

The President’s Trophy meeting was held at Gerrards Cross on 16th July . There was a mixture of squally showers and  sunshine and another lady added to our hall of fame by winning the President’s Trophy, Carolyn Betts with a stunning 40 pts.  Despite the changeable weather the 26 who attended once again enjoyed the renowned pleasures of this course and of the table. Thanks to our sponsor Stewart Superior Europe.

The Captain’s Outing to Sussex on 25-27 September had a mixture of weather, some of it quite nice.
The first day involved an individual singles at Crowborough Beacon.  A course much to the liking of Nigel Tollit  who won with 38 points, an excellent score round this lovely forested course.. On the Friday it was on to the famous
East Sussex National (East) in cold and windy weather. If Nigel Tollit enjoyed the day before he liked this course even better and took the Captain’s Salver with 39 points, closely followed by another past captain, Chris Phillips with 38 pts. The hotel was on the course and at the traditional dinner the draw for the next day’s Scramble was made.  All set out for the heathery Piltdown course on Saturday and sunny weather was enjoyed. While not quite managing a hat-trick by himself at least the Tollit family did as the winning team included Liz Tollit who made up a fearsome team consisting of her, Chris Phillips, Hugh Sear and Eric Smith  to  win the Scramble with a net score of 56. The runners up were Judith  Smith, Chris Lee, Carolyn Betts and, who else? Nigel Tollit!  with 58.  Various prizes were also won by others than the above named and the 19 who attended had a pleasurable 3 days.

In the past the fourth meeting used to bring proceedings to a close but for the previous two years a Winter Meeting has been introduced and this year there was a bumper turn-out,  21 pairs attended in frosty and cold weather to do battle for the Peter Tilley Trophy on  25 November at Old Fold Manor.  This event, now in it’s third year is a member and guest invitation, played as a Pairs Better Ball Stableford.
Our newest member Darren Lloyd  together with his guest, Mark Regan, triumphed with 41 points hotly pursued by Nigel Tollit & Gordon Lamb and by Chris Phillips & David Stride, both on 40 pts.

So concluded a busy year and I would like to thank Hugh Sear for his sterling efforts. It is an honour to be elected Captain and although the committee give every help this position is time consuming and the incumbent has to be dedicated during his term which, what with about 9 months prior to being elected and then the subsequent 12 has plenty to think about  – not least organising the annual 3-day outing - much initial research followed by constant contact to get in the monies climaxing with a personal presence during the event itself. No past Captain I’ve known has been anything but mightily relieved when he hands in his mitten at the AGM !  Thanks also, as always, to our Treasurer, David Morgan  for another year’s stalwart service (well over 30 years by my reckoning which is nearly 40% of our entire existence!) and to Geoff Fowler, the custodian of our database – and also, of course, to the members without whom, as they say, the  continuance of the Society would not be possible. 

Our vice-captain has been on a mission to try to enrol new members and I am pleased to say our numbers
have increased by half a dozen and I am hoping they will all make an appearance sometime in the coming season.

Many thanks, as always, to our generous sponsors whose financial input helps to keep the entry fee down..

It just remains to announce the winners of the 2010 Aggregate Trophies: The Liberty Trophy went,  once again,  to Chris Phillips. The  Guildford Trophy to David Morgan  and the remaining four were all won by Carolyn Betts, namely, The Watkins, Conlon, Tolley and Spicer Trophies. Congratulations to her and to Chris and David.

I welcome you all to the new season and our good wishes go to the incoming captain, Geoffrey Betts.  We hope he, and we also,  enjoy a happy and successful year.

Richard Johns
Hon. Secretary       
10 March 2011

 

Secretary's Report