AUGUST 2023
From your Captain:
It was with great sadness that I had to tell you all of the recent passing of our dear friend Ray Firth.
His wife Angela has now let me have details of his funeral which is on the 7th September at Marks Hall Arboretum in the Coach House
Both the service and wake will be held there, everyone is welcome.
Donations may be made to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, very shortly there will be a just giving page set up, details to follow.
Angela has kindly asked how many might be attending so, if you could either let myself or Mike Webley know, we will pass the information on.
We recently hosted the Veterans Inter Club Tournament and although we put out a very strong team, we were pipped at the post by Braintree.
Special thanks to Peter Garnett for organising everything with such detail and to our Sponsors for the day Emporia Mobile Phones. They make phones that are aimed at the elderly and will shortly be on display in the pro-shop, well worth a look.
A big thank you to all that have entered to play on my charity day. With some fantastic donations of raffle prizes and auction items, it promises to be a great event and a chance to help some local families.
We continue to attract excellent numbers to play in the friendly interclub matches, August is a busy month with no less than seven matches. Lets hope for continued success.
Thanks to all of you that support these.
That’s all for this month.
Malcolm
Wednesday Swindles
Wednesday 5th July – Gainsborough
1st (Sir) Bob Filer 40 points 4 shot cut
2nd Alan Finlayson / Roger Davies / Adrian Cherry 39 pts 2 shot cut
3rd Richard Middleton / Brian Roloff / Stewart Steel 38 pts 1 shot cut
Wednesday 12th July – Constable
1st Trevor Waterhouse 43 points 4 shot cut
2nd Brian Willsher / Brian Roloff 42 pts 3 shot cut
3rd Rob Swan / John Parkinson 40 pts 2 shot cut
Monday 17th July – Constable
1st Lionel Hatch 39 points Even after 3 shot cut !! Now another 3 shot cut
2nd Pete Hele 38 pts 2 shot cut
3rd Richard Middleton 37 pts 1 shot cut
Wednesday 26th July – Constable
1st Mike Clare 43 points
2nd Martin Brown 40 pts
3rd Trevor Waterhouse / Stuart Steel 39 pts
Please note that swindle cuts will be for one week only. Although, serial winners may be treated more harshly!
With 15 more Swindles of the year left, the current leaders are …….
David Seymour 230
Mike Clare 229
Kevin Walsh 226
Brian Butcher 224
Kevin Price 224
Alan Finlayson 223
Tony Denmead 220
All to play for ……….
Swindles in August
Wednesday 2nd August – Constable
Wednesday 9th August – Gainsborough
Monday 14th August – Gainsborough
Friday 25th August – Constable
Wednesday 30th August – Gainsborough
Inter Club Matches
Inter Club Match v Stowmarket - Gainsborough - 26th July 2023
SbN 7 Stowmarket 1
A fine sunny day set the scene as both teams arrived at SBN this morning.
Before the match commenced words of remembrance were given for our dear friend and team member Ray Firth who was due to play in today’s competition.
Match was played on the Gainsborough course which was in excellent condition and a credit to the ground staff.
Match 1
Malcolm Norton 13 & Dick Lumsden 20 V Jonathan Brown 10 & Simon Brown 19
Won 5 – 3
A pretty even game with the two captains trading birdies at the start. Malcolm on the 1st and Jonathan on the 2nd . Another birdie from Malcolm on the 6th edged us ahead and we were 1 up on the turn. Back 9 we took control and finished it with a handshake on the 15thgreen. Showboat Malcolm then hit the cables TWICE on the 16th!
Match 2
David Seymour 22 & Bill Kemter 6 V Alan Chadwick 23 & Robert Chatfield 18
Won 5 – 4
Alan and Robert started on fire, but then David became the local bandit hitting trees and telegraph poles to reach greens near regulation. Bill stood and watched in admiration – Bill’s words!
Match 3
Graham Cork 19 & Ian McKay 7 V Steve Brown 23 v Jim Deasy 25
Lost 4 – 2
A fine effort from Graham and Ian who were giving away a shot a hole, saw them finish in the Silver medal position. Crushed by a couple of long-distance putts, the coup de grace was administered on the 16th, when a 200-yard fairway wood ended pin high!. We won the 18ththough, but not enough to avoid being sent to the naughty step by the captain!
Match 4
Tony Denmead 12 & Rob Swan 17 V Andrew Coxhead 21 & Gareth Knowles 11
Won 5 – 4
Rob said Tony ‘played a blinder!’ lots of pars and two birdies took the wind out of the opposition sails. Rob popped up now and then to half the occasional hole.
Match 5
Kevin Walsh 14 & John Williams 10 V Danny Lovett 11 & Alan Hull 17
Won 1 up
We were always I or 2 down. Until 2 down with 3 to play, where we won the remaining holes.
The SBN duo were happy to say ‘we played with gentlemen’.
Match 6
Brian Roloff 15 & Iain Gault 6 V Alan Oxley 17 & Des Planner 12
Won 5 – 4
As befits the ‘well- fed pair’ Iain and Brian ‘ham and egged’ well to win . They were 3 up at the turn and despite a brief valiant fight back by Des and Alan, Iain holed out for a par on 15 to win 5 -4.
Good game played in a good spirit.
Match 7
Peter Hele 12 & Ian Bickers 24 V Eddie Snooks 22 & Martin Ward 16
Won 5 – 4
Ian and Peter gelled well and were never behind in the match, closing out on the 14th green to win 5 and 4.
Match 8
Alan Line 22 & Phil Hickley 9 V Robert Middleton 26 & John Bayfield 24
Won 4 – 3
Fluctuating game – SBN 4 down after 6, but then came good to close out the game in style. Helped by Alan’s par 3 performance and a decent back 9 from Phil. Good game and good company. Phil was giving 17 & 15 shots away respectively!
Many thanks to David Seymour on his reporting of today’s Inter Club match – much appreciated.
August Fixtures: (Plenty of them!)
2nd August Hintlesham Away
4th August Benton Hall Away
8th August Stowmarket Away
11th August Felixstowe Constable
17th August Clacton Constable
23rd August Frinton Constable
30th August Haverhill Constable
Seniors Club Competition results
Monthly Stableford & Presidents Prize - Constable - 19th July 2023
60 members played in today’s Monthly Stableford & Club Presidents Prize on a Constable course in excellent condition and in warm, but windy, weather although the threatened rain showers didn’t really materialise.
Whatever the conditions, members seemed to enjoy these with over half the field playing to handicap or better. 2 outstanding scores in Division 2 where Mike Isom returned 47 points, winning not only Div 2 but also the Club Presidents Prize, and Tony Reeves, will feel quite aggrieved at only coming second. with 46 points.
Leading positions ………
Division 1
1st Alan Finlayson 43 points on c/b
2nd Bill Wardle 43 pts
3rd Kevin Jones 42 pts
Division 2
1st Mike Isom 47 points
2nd Tony Reeves 46 pts
3rd Gordon Bryan 42 pts
Mike Isom collecting the President’s prize. He also won Division 2 and collected his award from Senior’s Captain Malcolm.
Alan Finlayson collecting his award from Malcolm Norton.
Inter Club Tournament - Gainsborough - 27th July 2023
Disappointment for Stoke in Veterans Inter Club Tournament
On a dull, drizzly and humid day, course conditions on the SbN Gainsborough Course were tough, and scoring was low among the 100 players taking part in the annual Veterans Inter Club Tournament.
As host team this year, Stoke had high hopes, but it was not to be and we lost out by 4 points overall to Braintree who recorded a total of 288 points from their nine best scores.
Seniors Captain Malcolm Norton picked up the runners up prize, but it was Braintree Captain Peter Eveling who held aloft the VICT trophy – finishing one better than their runner-up spot last year.
Malcolm is pictured here receiving the award from Chris Millington, Managing Director of tournament sponsor Emporia Telecom UK.
Colchester’s Vic Pomphrett (an ex SbN member) won the award for the highest individual score with 38 points.
It was a superb event all round though, well organised by Peter Garnett and his team of helpers, and special thanks to Harry Hibbert and Alex Rich for collating all 100 scores manually on the day, and to Becky Daniels and the catering team who coped well with the demands of so many hungry golfers.
The annual event rolls round to Ipswich Golf Club in 2024.
Results …………
1st Braintree 288 points
2nd Stoke by Nayland 284 pts
3rd Stowmarket 272 pts
4th Clacton 270 pts
5th Hintlesham. 268 pts
6th Colchester 265 pts
7th Felixstowe 256 pts
8th Ipswich 254 pts
9th Rushmere 243 pts
Team ………..
Tony Carman, Pete Hele, Phil Hickley, Barry Hitchcock, Ian McKay, John Parkinson, John Smith, Graham Vandervord, Kevin Walsh and John Williams.
Senior Captain/Vice Captain challenge
As you may know, the Captain has introduced a new challenge for 2023. Any pair wishing to take on this dynamic duo should contact Malcolm Norton, who will add your name to his list of opponents. There is no entry fee, although a donation to the Captain’s chosen charity for the year, EACH, would be gratefully received.
Not played in July
Obituaries
Ray Firth Deceased - 1948 2023
It is with much sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend Ray Firth.
Ray was a very quiet man who loved his golf and was always an active member of our senior’s section.
A great team player who represented SBN Seniors on many occasions.
Our thoughts go out to his wife and family.
Happy Birthdays in August to the following Seniors Members (apologies if I have omitted anyone)–
Barrie Hall, John Russell, Alan Hands, Colin Jackson, Peter Jay, Peter Chandler, Stan Bradshaw, Phil Brennan, Richard Cross, Eric Fisher, Pete Hele, Robert Giles, Paul Sandfield and Jonathan Perry
Many Happy Returns to You All.
UPCOMING EVENTS - August
7th August Senior’s Captains Charity Day – Constable
16th August Seniors Medal Cup and Bell-Constable
25th August Committee Cup-Stockbrook Manor GC