Meet the Player
This fun page is for members of the Seniors Section to introduce themselves by answering a few questions about their golfing life. It’s by no means compulsory, but it does give an opportunity for new members to put names to faces and provide another avenue for opening up conversations on the golf course.
You can see the questions in the posts below or follow this link: Meet-the-Player.docx.
Send your copy via email to Mike Stevenson at barton.mes@gmail.com
If you want to attach your own photo then feel free or I can take one of you hitting a drive on the 1st tee!
Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer
Steve Lupton
Intro: Moves with the speed and grace of an asthmatic ant carrying two heavy bags of shopping”
Age: 73 (Hard paper round)
Handicap: 17.2
What’s in the bag:
Driver: Cobra RADX (Second hand)
Fairway & Rescue: Taylormade Sim Max (Like their owner, old and a bit tatty)
Irons: Callaway XR (from The Ray Hurst Golf Emporium)
Wedges: Taylormade Milled (love ‘em)
Putter: Odyssey Rossie White Hot OG as used by Jon Rahm (Explains a lot)
Balls: Yes, Thank You.
Like Alan Clifford: Viagra, doesn’t help your golf, just makes it harder to swing.
Golfers you’d most like to play a round with:
Seve: Sheer Genius.
Tyrell Hatton: To learn the words missing from my golfing vocabulary.
And a couple of strange ones:
Steve Duckett. Gagged obviously.
and
John Pickering, nowt to do with golf, he is just a strange one!!
Earliest Golfing Memory:
40 odd years ago, stood on the 1st tee of the 9 hole at the Muni, in front of the queue, never having hit a golf ball before. My mate who played a bit said “you’ll be fine”. Strangely, it went ok, the rest of round didn’t, and that’s where it all started.
Favourite Course:
New Forest, been here for 30 years.
Best Golfing Moment:
Sunday morning comp. Shot 69 gross. Scored 48 stableford points and came 2nd!!!
One Golf Rule to Change:
None. Would just like everyone to learn them and play to them.
Favourite Golf Format:
Anything but Texas Scramble.
Any Golfing Ambitions:
- Win one of “them thaar” Division 2 Monthly Medals to go with my vast collection of Division 1 Monthly Medals.
- To continue to educate and encourage all those with “dodgy”, sorry I mean higher handicaps. You know the ones, like IC and RY. Strange they play together. You can imagine the chat on a Monday after their round. Like footballers, hands over their mouths so Club officials can’t lipread.
IC:” What’s the plan this week”
RY:” Well, while you’ve been winning everything, I’ve put in a couple of high scores so a half-decent round won’t affect my WHS too much for Winter League. Anyway, with my handicap a half-decent round should be good enough to beat the old farts.”
IC:” Well that’s settled then.”
RY:” You realise that will p*$$ Steve Lupton right off.”
IC:” Will it” “Will it really.”
Much laughter. (in the style of the aliens from the Cadbury’s Smash advert from the 70’s)
Afterthought: Having read the other “What’s in the bag” contributions, makes me wonder “ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm”.
Why aren’t they better golfers?
Graham Wyatt
Age: 71
Handicap: 17.4
What’s in the bag: At the moment, not a lot of gear that’s of any use but in case you really want to know
Driver – TaylorMade Sim2 Max
Woods – Callaway Big Bertha 3 Wood, Mizuno JFX 8005 Wood
Irons – Callaway Ai Smoke HL
Putter – Odyssey Triple Track.
Balls – either a Srixon A333 or Taylormade Tour Response on a hot summers day
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): I’m going to be greedy and pick 3 players. Seve of course to watch how to do it properly and ask so many questions about his golfing life, Declan Rice to get the update on all things Arsenal and Alex Lifeson to discuss music. Alex is the lead guitarist with a Canadian rock band called Rush and they are simply the best rock band to ever play.
Earliest golfing memory: Being treated to a bag of crisps and a glass of Coke on the veranda at Buckingham GC after caddying for my dad on a summers day.
Favourite course: It’s a close call between the Championship course at Carnoustie, Loch Lomond or the Dukes at Woburn. The attachment to Woburn always wins so it’s the Dukes for me.
Best personal golfing moment: Eagling the 459yd 18th on the Marquess at Woburn
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Revert back to max handicap of 28 for men. The new system hasn’t achieved what it was designed to do, slows the game down and gives very high handicappers a big advantage. A 54 H/capper can play to Par by taking 123 shots at NFGC.
Favourite golf format and why: Matchplay. Playing against the player rather than just the course makes it so competitive and I love the mental battle this format creates.
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: To play to a single figure H/cap one last time
Dave Jones
Age: 66
Handicap: 13.6
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Srixon ZX5
Woods – Ping G10 3 wood, MacGregor DX 5 wood
Irons – Ping G425 4 – 9
Wedges -Ping G425 PW & SW, NV Drew 60º lob wedge
Putter – Odyssey Triple Track
Balls – Any decent ones I find but I do prefer Srixon AD333’s. Why I couldn’t say, maybe I prefer a softer ball
Fruit Pastilles and lemon sherberts, a sugar hit for me and playing partners on the 11th tee onwards!
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Lee Trevino. I imagine it would be great stories and jokes all the way round the course
Earliest golfing memory: Pitch and Putt at Browns, Sandown, IoW when on a family holiday
Favourite course: Carramar Golf Club, Perth, Australia. Not the best course I have ever played on but a bit alarming when on the 1st tee you are confronted with a sign warning you to beware of snakes! It’s the straightest I have ever hit the ball (I wish). It was also a challenge chasing kangaroos off the tees instead of New Forest ponies!
Best personal golfing moment: Achieving my first hole-in-one. The old 3rd at Fleming Park when it was a 9 hole course. The previous week I hit the pin on the same hole, the ball finished about 3 feet from the hole only for me to miss the putt, much to the delight of my playing partners. At least I had the last laugh!
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Get rid of internal OOB unless it is to prevent golfers using short cuts e.g. on dogleg holes
Favourite golf format and why: Pinehurst Chapman. I just love the challenge of the combination of playing your partners tee shot then playing alternate shots
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: No real ambitions although I would love to get below a 10 handicap but to carry on enjoying the challenge of playing at NFGC, other courses and enjoying the fabulous New Forest scenery
Steve Duckett
Age: 64
Handicap: 7.5
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Srixon 10.5°
Woods – Callaway Rogue 3 and 5 woods
Irons – 3 iron to 9 iron
Wedges -PW & SW
Putter – TaylorMade Spider
Balls – TP5
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Ben Hogan
Earliest golfing memory: As a 14 year old, playing all over the place
Favourite course: Wentworth, West Course
Best personal golfing moment: Winning 9 Seniors Championships
One golf rule you’d change if you could: The WHS
Favourite golf format and why: Strokeplay (Gross)
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: Beat the course record at NFGC
Brian Roberts
Age: 78
Handicap: 22
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Cleveland Launcher Turbo 10.5°
Woods – 3 wood Taylor Made midsize 15°, 5 wood Titleist 23° stiff shaft
Irons – Ping G400 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Wedges -Ping G400 PW & SW
Putter – Ping Anser 2 bought 1990 never changed
Balls – Any soft Wilson DX 2 preferred
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Tom Watson best swing I have ever seen
Earliest golfing memory: Playing Heaton Park Manchester Pitch & Putt with my Father-in-Law
Favourite course: Penrith for the views. Sale, Manchester for the fact you have to think your way around have played to 2 gross around there twice love it.
Best personal golfing moment: Hole in one on the 17th par 3 at Castle Hawk Rochdale in the final of the singles matchplay. Playing off 10 against the Assistant Pro. Won one up.
One golf rule you’d change if you could: As mentioned before not getting relief from divots on the fairway
Favourite golf format and why: Singles matchplay head to head. Gamesmanship comes into play
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: To carry on playing at this club for many years yet!
Phil Kilburn
Age: 66
Handicap: 23.6
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Taylormade SIM 2 12°
Woods – SIM 2 3-Wood & Hybrid
Irons – Taylormade Qi – 5,6,7,8 & 9
Wedges – Taylormade Qi – AW, PW & SW
Putter – Scotty Cameron Studio Style Squareback 2
Balls – Titleist TruFeel or Taylormade TP5
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Justin Rose. I admire his hard working ethic and the grit and determination he displays on the golf course
Earliest golfing memory: I remember as a 6-year-old, whilst on holiday at Cromer in Norfolk, walking onto a fairway and picking up a ball adjacent to the footpath. I went to a golfer and asked whether the ball in question was his. I now realise why he was a little frustrated
Favourite course: Kirkbymoorside Golf Club in North Yorkshire. It is nestled against the North Yorkshire moors with some great views but it is also a very challenging course. I frequently played the course with my father-in-law who was a member
Best personal golfing moment: 2nd May 2024. For some reason I have always had a reputation for being a ‘Bandit’, why this is I’m not too sure. At the time my Handicap Index was 29.0
On the day in question it was a Stableford roll-up, shotgun start. I started on the 15th hole playing with Steve Lupton, Chris Bennett, and Pete Bennett. Steve decided to mark my card, and, as usual gave me the appropriate motivational encouragement. This was obviously what I needed as I went on to score my best score, an 80, 49 stableford points which included 8 pars and 1 birdie. Steve was, as you can imagine, very impressed. I have unfortunately never played with Steve since and hence I have never beaten this score. Hopefully we will play together again this year
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Not been able to take relief from a divot on a fairway. Obviously, this does not apply at the New Forest where we have preferred lies on the fairway
Favourite golf format and why: The purest form of golf, stroke play medal
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: I do want to get my handicap down to at least 19 again and win a monthly medal as a division 1 player
Barry Nicholas
Age: 75
Handicap: 16.6
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Callaway Elite 12°
Woods – Cobra 3 wood, Cobra 5 wood
Irons – Cobra Air-X irons
Wedges – 56° & 60°
Putter – Rife
Balls – Callaway Soft Feel balls
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Peter Allis
Earliest golfing memory: Breaking 100 for the first time
Favourite course: Love playing new courses for the first time
Best personal golfing moment: Winning nett championships at New Forest Golf Club both in the main club championship and the Seniors
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Free relief from divots and placing the ball in bunkers rather than dropping
Favourite golf format and why: Four ball better ball (no reason given)
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: To keep playing beyond my 80th birthday!
Thanks Barry!
Roy Nelson
Age: 69
Handicap: 18.4
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Ping G430 Max 10.5°
Woods – TaylorMade IQ10 3 Wood / PXG 0341 XF 5 Wood
Irons – Ping G430 Black Dot 5 – SW
Wedges – Ping G430 52° & 54°
Putter: TaylorMade GT Spider Max
Balls: TaylorMade TP5X White Stripe
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Phil Mickelson
Earliest golfing memory: Watching Gary Player in the Masters at Amen Corner at Augusta National
Favourite course: Pebble Beach, California
Best personal golfing moment: My first hole-in-one on the 11th at NFGC in 2025
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Get relief from a divot
Favourite golf format and why: Stroke Play scoring in its purest form
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: A couple really: get another hole-in-one (ever hopeful) and reduce my handicap to below 10 (even more hopeful)
Mike Stevenson
Age: 73
Handicap: 24.1
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Cobra Aerojet 12° set to -1.5°
Woods – Staying in the back of the garage for now…
Hybrid – Cobra Aerojet 4/5 adjustable hybrid, 7 iron length
Irons – Ping i525 4-PW
Wedges – Vokey 50°, 56° & 60°
Putter – TaylorMade Spider GTX
Balls – Callaway Soft Feel Splatter
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Seve, charismatic and inspirational. He could play shots from anywhere, mostly because he had to
Earliest golfing memory: Playing pitch and putt in Mapperley Park, Nottingham, when I should have been at school
Favourite course: Royal Hong Kong, Fanling. Brutal but beautiful
Best personal golfing moment: Winning a comp in Phoenix with 40 drunken Yanks giving me a hard time. Needed a 2 at the last to win, sank a 9 iron from 110 yards and it all went very quiet
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Free relief from a divot, not an issue at NFGC
Favourite golf format and why: Matchplay – a hole by hole cut and thrust. Is there any better competition than the Ryder Cup?
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: I’d love to get my handicap down to 18. I have the determination but sadly seem to lack the talent
Ian Coundon
Age: 70 (I know, I can’t believe it either)
Handicap: 19.6
What’s in the bag:
Driver – PXG 0311XF 12 deg senior flex
Hybrid – Yonex Ezone 3H 19 deg
Irons – PXG 0211 6-PW with senior graphite shafts
Wedges – Mizuno JPX 52 deg with 8 deg bounce for the tight NF lies…and Ping Glide 3.0 56 deg
Putter – currently Cleveland HB Soft #10.5 (centre shaft)
Balls – any soft/low compression ball that’s free but if I’m buying then the Taylormade Speedsoft Ink
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Has to be Peter Alliss – I loved his “A Round with Alliss” TV series from the early 1980s, and to make up the 4 ball with Ronnie Corbett and Terry Wogan, just imagine the non-pc conversation!
Earliest golfing memory: An early memory and certainly most memorable was again in the early 1980s, I’d only just picked up a golf club, barely knew one end from the other, and was persuaded to play in the annual golf day for the local authority I then worked for. Play was a local private members club, a bit snooty, and I had no idea you had to change into a jacket and tie for the after golf meal in the posh clubhouse. So there I was in my golf attire with everybody else suited and booted, and then I had to suffer the indignation of a Club official coming up to me with an array of ghastly 1970’s kipper ties draped over his arm as it was now after 7pm and the club rule of wearing a tie was compulsory. So I then had to wear one of these ties with my polo shirt: I can laugh now but at the time I just wanted to crawl away and hide!
Favourite course: Has to be New Forest. I never cease to be amazed and enamoured by the changing scenery of the seasons
Best personal golfing moment: Probably winning the Onion Cup last year, one month before my 70th so it was in effect my last chance before moving up to the “Sages”
One golf rule you’d change if you could: I always think that stroke and distance is onerous particularly at club level, not only do you add a stroke to your score but you lose distance as well
Favourite golf format and why: Pairs better ball – I always play better in this format, I guess it’s something to do with having the security of your playing partner
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: To win the Sages Trophy and to continue playing to beyond 80 and make a clean sweep by winning the Stuffing Plaque!
Charlie Von Landau
Age: 66
Handicap: Too high!
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Sim2 Max
Woods – R11
Irons – Wilson Staff graphite shafts
Wedges – Vokey S8
Putter – TaylorMade Spider
Balls – Kirkland
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Tommy Fleetwood
Earliest golfing memory: Using my grandads clubs to hit golf balls on tarmac
Favourite course: Red Wolf, Huffman Texas
Best personal golfing moment: Chipping in from a bunker on a championship course in Thailand
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Free relief from pitch marks
Favourite golf format and why: Texas Scramble – Great fun
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: Keep playing
Ivor Griffiths
Age: 76
Handicap: 14.3
What’s in the bag:
Driver – PXG 0311 Driver 10.5°, PXG Proto 0811X+ Mini-Driver 10.5°
Woods –PXG 3 and 7 woods
Hybrid – PXG Hybrid 25
Irons – PXG 0311 XP GEN5 Irons 7, 8 and 9
Wedges – PXG 0311 Forged Wedge 42°, 46°, 52°, 58°
Putter – L.A.B Golf Mezz.1 Putter
Balls – Balls Srixon soft
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Sir Nick Faldo
Earliest golfing memory: Invited by a company to their annual event at Hayling Island GC in 1997 to have my first taste of golf. Having never played before or even owned any equipment they gave me a new half-set of MacGregor clubs plus accessories and a quick half hour with the Pro in the nets before the competition. A field of 52 played a stableford competition and I managed to finish in 42nd place off a beginners 28 handicap. That was the start I needed and shortly after I joined New Forest Golf Club playing Sunday mornings before joining the Seniors when I turned 55 years of age in 2004.
Favourite course: Whilst there are many lovely courses to play, the one for me is the New Forest. Looks easy on the card with 7 par 3’s but it’s a very testing course. It provides a great playing environment with nature surrounding you on every hole.
Best personal golfing moment: September 2007 winning my first Seniors Club Championship. The competition was played over 2 days and needed a sudden death play-off to decide the Championship winner as I was tied with John Ledger on a gross total of 166. John finished with a bogey 5 on the 1st hole whereas I managed to sink a long putt for a birdie 3. It was such an honour to be Champion in 2007 as it was the year I was elected as Seniors Captain. Following that success I managed to win the Seniors Championship again in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Not being able to get relief from a divot on the fairway you are playing. Whilst we do get relief at New Forest, when playing other courses, I feel it is only fair that you should get relief from ‘damage’ caused by another golfer.
Favourite golf format and why: Strokeplay Medal format. It is the ultimate test of your golfing ability.
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: To maintain playing a good standard of golf until the moment comes when I have to retire from this great sporting pastime.
Dave Scott
Age: 72
Handicap: 10.4
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Titleist TS3 9.5°
Woods – 915 3 wood
Hybrid – 2 Hybrid
Irons – 3-PW Ben Hogan Edge
Wedges – Titleist Vokey 56° & 60°
Putter – Odyssey White Hot #2
Balls – Callaway Chrome Soft
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Nick Faldo or Lee Trevino
Earliest golfing memory: Playing with my uncle
Favourite course: Royal Hong Kong, Fanling
Best personal golfing moment: Hole in one on the 13th at NFGC in 2023
One golf rule you’d change if you could: The World Handicap System used for handicap index
Favourite golf format and why: Matchplay – hole by hole format
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: Get back down to a single figure handicap
Alan Clark
Age: 84
Handicap: 24.1
What’s in the bag:
Driver – Callaway X2 HOT
Hybrid – Callaway Diablo Edge 3 Hybrid
Irons – Callaway Big Bertha (like me a bit ancient)
Putter – Odyssey Dual Force 330
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Like others-Peter Allis. It would be fun to hear more of his stories. I saw him at the Regent, Christchurch in “an audience with” and it was a hilarious evening. One of his best stories was that he used to have the hots for Carol Vorderman when she was on Countdown and he admitted that on one occasion he got aroused. He thought that was good for a 7 letter word
Earliest golfing memory: In early 1997 we were going to stay with some friends in Potters Bar for a long weekend and it was suggested that 2 of us go and play golf together. I said I had never played but my friend lent me some clubs and that was the start of my golfing adventure
Favourite course: I have played a total of 204 courses around the world but my favourite (mainly because I can remember it) is Anfi Tauro in Gran Canaria where I go each year for a week’s golf with 3 other members of New Forest.
Best personal golfing moment: A number of good memories but 3 stand out:
1. My first hole in one (of 3). in May 2004 at Rosehill Golf Club, South Carolina, near Hilton Head Island
2. My second hole in one in May 2013 on the 11th at New Forest. I became the 100th winner of the Boss Hole in One Watch which a representative presented at the Club
3. Last June I was playing with a society that I belong to. There are 3 competitions each year and I have never won until at Sandford Springs I scored 1 point on the first 2 holes then amassed 43 on the next 16 and won by a large margin.
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Free relief from divots on the fairway. It is most unfair to hit a good shot in the middle of the fairway and then find yourself in a deep divot
Favourite golf format and why: Match Play. You are playing against an opponent and do not necessarily have to play each hole well, only better than your opponent.
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: I have never won any of the Sage or Onion or Stuffing trophies and it would be nice to win the Stuffing Plate
Dave Titchmarsh
Age: 78
Handicap: 24.6
What’s in the bag:
Driver –
Woods – 3 wood, 7 wood
Hybrid – 6, 7, 8, 9
Wedges – PW & SW
Putter – TaylorMade
Balls – Srixon
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): Tommy Fleetwood
Earliest golfing memory: Watching The Masters in the 1970’s
Favourite course: Other than NFGC – Crane Valley
Best personal golfing moment: Hole in one at Cottesmore GC 14/08/2014
One golf rule you’d change if you could: Difficult to name just 1!
Favourite golf format and why: 4 Man Texas Scramble
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: Learn how to play consistently
Alan Clifford 
Age: 77
Handicap: 24.3
What’s in the bag:
Paracetamol
Deep Heat
Eye Drops
Viagra (just in case)
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): John Daly
Earliest golfing memory: First round getting a par. Hooked ever since
Favourite course: Denham
Best personal golfing moment: Hole in one at Denham
One golf rule you’d change if you could: None
Favourite golf format and why: Stableford – you’ve always got a chance…
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: Play a round without aching
Michael Cavaney
Age: 76
Handicap: 41
What’s in the bag:
Golfer you’d most like to play a round with (dead or alive): All Seniors Group
Earliest golfing memory:
Favourite course: Swansea
Best personal golfing moment:
One golf rule you’d change if you could: The World Handicap System
Favourite golf format and why: Nil
Any golfing ambitions left to achieve: Nil