Page 196 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

The Farmer’s Boys GS Summer Meet 2017
AS EVER I
AM HUGELY
INDEBTED
TO ANDY
FONTANA
WHO YET
AGAIN
ACTED AS
THE PRIZES
SECRETARY
AND TO RAY
POVEY FOR
HIS HELP IN
ENSURING
THAT
MEMBERS
GOT TO THE
TEE ON TIME
– NOT AN
EASY TASK
The Farmers Boys (DERR) Regimental Golf Society - 2017
Following the success of last year’s inaugural spring meeting we again started this season’s series of 8 matches at Cumberwell Park Golf Club on 21 April 2017. Another huge success with a warm-up round on the very challenging new 9 hole par three course which includes a wonderful island green hole, followed by the main competition itself. Many thanks once again to John Ledgister for all his hard work in organising such a great fun day.
It was the turn of the Slashers Gol ng Society to host the 10th meeting of the Burma Cup, which took place at Tewkesbury Park Golf Club on 26 May. With 9 holes played the Farmers Boys were leading 5 – 1, but unfortunately we were not able to hold onto our lead and eventually just lost 4 – 2. We will win the Burma Cup one year and in 2018 we are returning to Cumberwell Park, the course where we last won the cup. Many thanks to Arthur Christian, our team captain, for leading us so skilfully.
A couple of weeks later 32 Farmers Boys re-as- sembled at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club for our annual meeting on 15 and 16 June 2017. It was a hugely successful meeting and our best turn-out for a number of years. Many thanks to Tony Flay for all his help in liaising with the club and for negotiating a very competitive rate. Also for kindly inviting those who played the warm-up round on the Thursday and were overnighting in Chipping Sodbury to join him and Liz to celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary. The impromptu gathering was great fun and I hope this will encourage more members to join us on the Thursday for the warm-up – it’s a very tricky course and the warm-up round de nitely helped improve the scores the following day for those who took part. We will be returning to Chipping Sodbury on 7 and 8 June 2018 and the date has been chosen to coincide with the Hungerford weekend. As ever I am hugely indebted to Andy Fontana who yet again kindly volunteered to act as the prizes secretary and to Ray Povey for his help in ensuring that members got to the Tee on time – not an easy task. Noting that the “can only win 1 major trophy” rule applies, prizes were won as follows:
Medal Gross:
• 1st - The Gilson Trophy – Kevin Flay. As
Medal Net:
• 1st - The Gilson Bowl – John Marsh. • 2nd - The Gamble Cup – Alan Ladds.
Stableford Singles:
o 1st (21 handicap and below) – The James Cup –
Andy Fontana.
o 2nd (21 handicap and below) – The Shorncliffe
Cup – Ron Cooke.
o 3rd (21 handicap and below) – Kevin Flay.
o 1st (22 handicap and above) – The Education
Cup – Smudger Smith.
o 2nd (22 handicap and above) – Tony Humphries. o 3rd (22 handicap and above) – Norman Minty.
Team Prize – The Malta Plaque (won by the Battalion Foursomes team in the British Troops Malta Golf Championships during their posting to Malta (Dec 62 – Jan 66)) presented to the highest 3-ball stableford score – Andy Fontana, John Marsh and Andrew Povey.
Best Guest Score – Andrew Povey.
Nearest the Pin in 2 (7th) – Steve James.
Most Golf Played – The “Frog” Trophy – Kiki Ball.
And the “Bandit” trophy, nominated and awarded by the previous year’s winner (Andy Fontana), was presented to Smudger Smith for scoring 38 points with a 24 handicap.
We supported the Devon ABF charity golf day at Dainton Park Golf Course on 14 June 2017 and a small band of Farmers Boys attended another great day of golf on 4 August 2017 at Brickhampton Golf Course for the annual Slashers golf meeting. At the time of writing the Farmers Boys are half-way through their 8 match season. Arthur Christian will be leading a team of Farmers Boys to the Mercian Regiment charity golf day at Rufford Park Golf Course in Nottinghamshire at the end of August; our autumn meeting will take place at Chippenham Golf Club on 15 September 2017 and, following an intro- duction from John Marsh’s neighbour (Gary Perkins who served in both the SCLI and ILI) we have invited the recently formed 1LI Golf Society to join us, and our nal meeting of the year will be the Ri es Regimental Golf Day on 9 October 2017 when we hope to repeat the success of 2015 and win back the trophy.
The Farmers Boys (DERR) Golf Society is in ne form. It continues to be one of the small but important elements of the Ri es’ 4th Pillar and we will be organising another 8 meetings in 2018, plus our rst overseas tour to Spain in February 2018, which will be reported on in next years’ journal. John Marsh
Champion Golfer, Kevin received the Regimental Plate which was commissioned and designed by Toby North. He also received a presentation bottle of whisky and glasses kindly donated by Tony Humphries and the intent is for the winner to donate a prize of his choice for the Champion Golfer in the following year’s competition.
• 2nd - The Bone Beaker – Dave Gardiner.
• 3rd – Garry O’Doherty.
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