Dear Members,
Summer golf is in full swing, with strong performances across the Club, a successful charity programme and a busy calendar still ahead.
Highlights include the ladies retaining the Surrey Clubs Trophy by 18 Stableford points, the men regaining it by 15 points and new Club Champions being crowned.
Captains’ Charity Day on 16 May brought members together for golf, lunch and an auction in support of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Thank you to everyone who played, donated prizes and supported this important cause. Our fundraising currently stands at £30,432.
At a Glance
- Competition highlights: The ladies retained the Surrey Clubs Trophy by 18 Stableford points whilst the men regained the Trophy by 15 points
- Club Champions: Jessica Friend and Greg Hughes secured the ladies’ and men’s titles respectively.
- Next key dates: Mixed Evening Golf on Friday 21 August, the Ladies’ Exchange Day on Tuesday 25 August and the Charity Quiz Night on Friday 4 September.
Ladies’ Section
The ladies began the year strongly, winning both preliminary Wallis Trophy matches against Milford Golf Club. A draw with Banstead Downs was enough to progress on points before Walton Heath brought the campaign to an end.
In the Centenary Bowl, the team defeated Reigate Heath to reach the main draw before losing to Hindhead in the second round.
The season-opening Coffee Morning was well attended. David Stewart, Senior Assistant Golf Professional, provided an update on the Rules of Golf, while Gary Stewart, Deputy Golf Courses Manager, discussed the robotic mowers. Members subsequently named the three machines Stirling Mows, Fernando Al-lawn-so and Lawnando Norris.
The Friendly season has included a draw with Epsom and Royal Wimbledon, wins at Betchworth Park and Burhill and defeats against Hindhead and St George’s Hill. Fixtures against Effingham and Hankley Common are still to come.
Fenella Fraser Ker and Gill McPherson won the Ladies’ Winter Foursomes Knockout final against Jo Atkins and Nat Holt.
On Thursday 28 May the ladies retained the Surrey Clubs Trophy against Kingswood, Tyrrells Wood and Cuddington, winning by an impressive 18 Stableford points.
The first Ladies’ Exchange Day took place at Cuddington Golf Club on Tuesday 9 June. The second will be held at West Surrey Golf Club on Tuesday 25 August.
Margot Waddup, Emma Vertigan, Jane Fraser and Gill McPherson represented the Club in the Druce Trophy at Betchworth Park on 9 July, where Reigate Hill won the competition.
Alexandra Dear and Sarah Newman (Surbiton) won the Invitation Guest Day on Tuesday 14 July with 46 points.
The Myra Moonie Alternate Day competition and Ladies’ Dinner attracted 62 participants on Saturday 25 and Tuesday 28 July. Jane Mann won the competition with an excellent 43 points.
Other Results:
- The Anniversary Bowl was won by Natanje Holt
- The Par Trophy was won by Jacqueline Ballard
- The Coronation Foursomes was won by Chloe Parsons and Emma Vertigen
- The Spring Meeting was won by Jessica Friend
- The Spring Meeting Plate was won by Helen Elliott
- The Maiden Salver was won by Jacqueline Ballard
- The Maiden Salver Plate was won by Ann Keep
- The Coronation Bowl was won by Xiaoyu Valev
Men’s Section
On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April the Spring Meeting was contested. The results were:
- The Saturday Stableford (Hedges Butler Shield) was won by Thomas McKinnon-Dibley pipping David Hamer on countback.
- On Sunday the Spring Meeting Medal was won by Declan Hunt, the Spring Meeting Plate by Stewart Ireland just pipping Brin Cox on countback and the Hele Shaw Cup (Best gross score) was won by Max French with a gross 72.
The men’s match season opened on Friday 29 April with a home friendly against Royal Mid Surrey which we won by three games to two. On Wednesday 3 June we travelled to Princes where conditions were very wet and windy and we lost by one and a half to four and a half. At the end of June we played away to Hindhead and drew three all and finally we played at Burhill and came away with a victory by three and a half to two and a half.
The Seniors’ Winter Greensomes final on Friday 1 May with Nicholas Sherriff and Ron Vaz beating Allan Collins and Nick Kibblewhite.
On Thursday 14 May the Club hosted the Surrey Clubs Trophy welcoming teams from Kingswood, Banstead and Epsom for a Stableford competition in which the best six of eight scores counted. Great scoring by Andy Macfarlane, Paul Drinkwater, Stephen Smith, Giles Harper, Martin Vertigen, Alan Collins, Brin Cox and James Taylor enabled us to secure victory.
The Men’s Dinner on Friday 22 May featured guest speakers Jamie Weir and Di Stewart who shared stories from golf and sports broadcasting. Golf swings were dissected and commented on by Jamie and Simon Holmes (Sky Sports swing analyst), the general opinion was that they were all rubbish!
The Men’s Winter Foursomes final was contested by defending champions David Biggin and Adam Starkey-Smith against Clive Kennedy and Blake Webster. Going through to the 19th hole David and Adam defended their title. Congratulations.
The knockout final of the Coronation Challenge Putting Competition took place on Friday 12 June between Max French and Greg Hughes. Congratulations to Greg who came from two down to pip Max in extra holes on the 18th green of the Old Course.
Other Results:
- The QE2 Trophy was won by Clive Kennedy (Jnr) with a nett 66
- The Captains Charity Day was won by Louis Falquero, Mark Bever, Tim Dumbreck and Neil Morris
- The Ely Fourball was won by John Chittock and David Hamer
- The Captain’s Prize was won by David Bradbery
- The Dawn Patrol was won by Mihir Rajeev
- The Men’s Silver Jubilee Cup was won by Freddie Burgess with a nett 63
- At the Men’s Invitation Guest Day, the winners were Ric and Ashley Guymer
- At the Men’s Captain’s Scramble the winning four-ball were David Keary, Yehia Oweiss, Andrew George and Gorm Nielsen
- The Men’s Phillips Cup was won by Giles Harper, with the Woodcote Salver won by Oliver Mackenzie
Club Championships
The Club Championships took place in June:
- Men’s Senior Champion: Gorm Nielsen, gross 76
- Ladies’ Senior Champion: Maggie Simkins, nett 68
- Ladies’ Club Champion: Jessica Friend, two-round gross score of 168
- Men’s Club Champion: Greg Hughes, two-round gross score of 144
- Junior Club Champion: Freddie Sayers, gross 80
Mixed Golf
Mixed Evening Golf began on Friday 8 May with nine holes followed by a barbecue on the Spike Bar Terrace. Further events took place on Friday 12 June, Friday 10 July and Friday 7 August, with the final evening scheduled for Friday 21 August.
A new mixed fixture began on Thursday 21 May when Farnham visited Woodcote Park, with the home team securing a six to two victory.
The Mixed Foursomes Trophy took place on Sunday 24 May on the Coronation Course. The winning pair were Scott and Gill McPherson with 46 points.
The Mixed Away Day took place at Littlehampton Golf Club on Saturday 4 July, providing an excellent setting for a summer day of golf and companionship.
Junior Golf
The junior programme continues to grow, supported by well-attended monthly Stableford competitions.
Freddie Sayers won the Junior Club Championship on the Coronation Course on Sunday 21 June with a gross score of 80. Charles Needham won the nett competition with a score of 60.
The Junior Rosebowl took place on the Old Course on Saturday 4 July, attracting 24 juniors from seven Surrey clubs. A team from Foxhills won the four-ball better-ball competition with 43 points.
We are pleased to report we now have a couple of juniors representing the Club in County tournaments. In the Surrey U12 Championships held at Sunningdale Heath on Monday 10 August Callan Macdonald finished top five in both Gross and Nett competitions. Over 30 juniors took part.
Over the course of the summer there have been Rookie tour competitions taking place and we have had a number of juniors competing.
This section continues to thrive and we are grateful to David Stewart for his hard work in getting us to where we are now.
Order of Merit
The Men’s Order of Merit runs from March to October with each player’s best eight qualifying results counting towards the title. The Ladies’ Order of Merit also runs from March to October with each player’s best five qualifying results counting. Members can view the latest standings in Intelligent Golf by selecting Menu, Competitions, Ongoing, Men’s or Ladies Order of Merit 2026.
Upcoming Events
- Friday 21 August: Mixed Evening Golf and barbecue
- Tuesday 25 August: Ladies’ Exchange Day at West Surrey Golf Club
- Friday 4 September: Charity Quiz Night in the 19th Hole
- Thursday 1 October: Mixed Invitation Guest Day
- Through to October: Men’s and Ladies’ Order of Merit competitions
- Saturday 7 November: Captains’ Golf Ball in the Cedar Room
Members are encouraged to enter early and support the remaining fixtures. Please check Intelligent Golf and Golf News regularly for entry details, deadlines, team selections, start times, results and calendar updates.
Course and Member Reminders
The grounds team has worked hard to maintain the courses through challenging weather conditions. Members can support this work by repairing pitch marks and observing white lines at all times.
Please also use bamboo tees wherever possible to reduce plastic waste on the courses.
New members, or anyone seeking help entering a competition or finding a playing partner, should contact the Men’s or Ladies’ captain. Opportunities are available for golfers of all handicap levels to participate and represent the Club.
Thank You
Thank you for the enthusiasm, friendship and support that has made the season so enjoyable. Whether competing for a trophy, representing the Club, supporting charity events or joining friends for an evening round, every member has contributed to a memorable summer.
We look forward to seeing you on the courses for the remainder of the season.
Best wishes,
Andy and Sarah
Men’s and Ladies’ Captains