September/December 2023 report
The late summer hot spell may have been winding towards its end when we visited Piltdown but it was still very good weather and, much as at Royal Ashdown the previous month, the heather was in fine shape! It all goes to show that a good golf course doesn’t need bunkers to make it challenging and interesting.
Piltdown had just sanded the fairways so we were granted ‘preferred lies’ on the mown stuff; in fact the sand provided a useful clue as to where the ball had landed, puffing up as it did when struck. The greens were a little slow, but were not themselves sanded.
We had four guests in our number, and the results put them front and centre. David Bedwell, of Reigate Hill, showed everyone else how it should be done, and scored 34 points, a total which most of the OWs present
considered a very good score on a difficult course. Second prize also went to a guest, this time Suffolk resident Gary Seaman, who scored 31. After that, there was a cluster of members vying for third place (and the Autumn cup, which could only be won by a member). Alan Scovell, Mark Haswell and Nigel Huxtable all carded 30
points, and all scored 14 going out and 16 coming back. The need for too much scrutiny of the countback position was avoided however, because David Hughes, who had considered scrapping his card after a poor start over the first four holes, recovered (and surprised) himself to such an extent that he scored 11 on the front and a highly commendable 19 on the back, which trumped the others’ 16, and so won him the Cup (pictured with President Pip Burley). Never give up!
All were comforted by Piltdown’s evening curry and so much choice of dessert that some felt compelled to sample more than one.
Mark Chatham emerged as the ultimate winner of the society’s Challenge Cup, a knockout tournament played by members throughout the summer months; he overcame Nigel Huxtable in the final, played at Wildernesse.
The season concluded with the Autumn Tour, started in 2011 and managed ever since by John Gould, with his customary precision and bonhomie. This year we played, or tried to play, Seaford, Royal Eastbourne and Crowborough Beacon, relatively local courses compared to some visited over the last 12 years. Seaford was windy on top of the hills overlooking the English Channel, but in fine condition; Eastbourne was considered a little ‘quirky’ by those who played it; and Crowborough was as tricky and tiring as ever, but beautiful with it. Seventeen players played on the tour, and Don Anderson emerged on top over the three days, playing with his trademark touch and tidiness. Thanks are due, as ever, not only to John for his organisation, but also to Tony Harris for managing the finance, and to Alan Scovell for keeping track of all the scores and the sundry awards of prizes for just about everyone that moved – and one or two who didn’t (Dave Mason won the Worzel Gummidge award for fashion choice without even turning up!). Photos of Seaford, Eastbourne, and Crowborough are shown, in order, below.
Seaford
Royal Eastbourne
Crowborough Beacon
The close season is now upon us, but there is planning afoot for our events next year, not least of them the Halford Hewitt in its centenary year. Whitgift will have a new captain, Matt Webster, who will be putting his squad of scratch golfers through its paces in order to establish the five pairs who will represent Whitgift in the 2024 competition. Watch this space for more details, or look out for news on oldwhitsgolf.com.
