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Seniors Section Summer Tour Report 2026

Cotswold Hotel and Spa

Day 1 – Better Ball Stableford

Day 2 – Combined Stableford

Day 3 – Individual Stableford

What happens on tour, stays on tour

Everybody

First night dinner, everyone bright and chirpy before the day 3 exhaustion

Many congratulations to Alan Clark for winning the Rocky Trophy with a staggering 49 points on a tricky course made much more difficult by the recent sequence of heatwaves.  Had the cards being going in, a five stroke cut would have been a just reward for a 13 under par round which most of us could only dream of.  Well done Alan, we await confirmation of whether or not he shot better than his age again, I'll update this report when I know.

Thanks to Ken Scott for organising a successful event, a great venue with good food; thanks also to Mike Ahearn for taking care of all the financials.

It's still not known who Ken delegated the organisation of the eclipse to, but we all hope he can do better with the next one as many were left underwhelmed.

Finally thanks to all 24 participants who each contributed to making it a great 3 days away enjoying the sport we love.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Many novel ways were attempted to view the eclipse.  Safety is always a prime consideration at our age

The Tommy Trotter and Harold Hewitt Trophies

Stableford, White tees

6 August 2026

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.

Natalie Babbitt

There must have been something in the air today that disturbed quite a few golfers as the conditions, no different than two days previously, seemed to prevent the kind of scoring that we'd come to expect over the last couple of months.

On Tuesday, during the Monthly Medal, five players shot par or better.  Today with conditions being exactly the same, only three managed the feat.  Just a month ago it was 37% of the field that were seeing their handicaps reduced after coming in with scores that they could only dream about during the dark winter mornings, playing off the blue tees.  

Is it the unpredictable bounces or our ageing, tired limbs that's causing the drop off in performance?  As highly-tuned, elite athletes we each know the benefits of frequent rehydration and energy replacement during a round so that can't be the issue, so it must be the effects of the long, hot summer causing the tiredness that many other countries offset with an afternoon siesta.  It has been said that at our age, what a happy hour means to us is an afternoon nap.

In the absence of any reports of amusing or strange incidents on the course, we may as well go straight to the results.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Tommy Trotter Trophy

1st Chris Bennett         37 points (19.8 to 19.9)

2nd Martin Garrahan  36 points (17.3 to 17)

3rd Ivor Griffiths           35 points (15.5 to 15.3)

Harold Hewitt Trophy

1st Michael Cavaney 40 points (41.2 to 40.2)

2nd Alan Clark           35 points on countback (24.2 to 23.8)

3rd Mark Spearey     35 points (23.4 to 23.2)

Nearest the pin on the 13th – Laurie Burn

Chris Bennett (l) with the Tommy Trotter Trophy looking like he's just come back from a fortnight in the Bahamas

and

Michael Cavaney (r) with the Harold Hewitt Trophy looking like he's just come back from a six month patrol on a U boat hunting the Arctic Convoys

August Monthly Medal

Strokeplay, White tees

04 August 2026

Golf is a compromise between what your ego wants you to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do.

Bruce Crampton

August special – 2 quotes for the price of 1

You can't give life more time so give the time you have more life

Dave Titchmarsh

We all love a quiz so let's start there:

You have played your ball into a position where you need your next shot to stop quickly to avoid further danger. Do you:

a) Strike down on the ball very hard with a wedge or short iron using the grooves to impart the maximum backspin?

b) Play the ball low into a bank to take the forward momentum out of the ball?

c) Aim for the Seniors Captain hoping that he won't notice/move until the ball has hit him?

d) Roll your ball over a bank and through a gorse bush using two objects to ensure maximum stopping power?

e) Both c) and d) above

Answers in person only to the Competition Secretary.  In The Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, Guitar George knows all the chords.  If you're ever in dire straits on a golf course, check out our Competition Secretary, he knows all the shots!

Moving on…

Has there ever been a time in your life where you have achieved all of the golfing goals which you have previously shared with your playing buddies?  To the few of you that read these reports, or, stranger still, delve further into the darkest depths of our website, you may have noticed the following from our 'Meet the Player' section:

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

That was March 18th this year.  Fast forward just a few months and Phil Kilburn now has a WHS index of 18 and has won a monthly medal in Division 1 to go with his collection in Division 2.  It could be argued that Phil may have set his sights a little too low (or is too high in golf?) but having witnessed at first-hand the progress in his game this year, I think that we can expect more fireworks in the future.

Division 2 was a day for the thirty-plus handicappers which saw Peter Reed (36.6, was 37.4) battle it out with Michael Cavaney (41.2, was 41.7), Charlie VonLandau (32.7) and Frank Lockley (31.0, was 31.7).  A special mention must be given to Frank who has recently been welcomed back into the fold following a period of enforced absence.  The applause was noticeably warm when he received his third prize for coming 3rd in the Sandy Sanders Trophy during the Seniors Championship last week.  It's good to have you back Frank.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

The Results

Division 1

1st Phil Kilburn    Net 65

2nd Chris Angell  Net 68

3rd  Dave Scott    Net 69 on countback

Division 2

1st Pete Reed                    Net 68

2nd Michael Cavaney      Net 71

3rd  Charlie VonLandau  Net 72 on countback

Nearest the pin on the 2nd – Mike Stevenson

Phil Kilburn with his 6 iron on his way to achieving his golfing goals

Picture of Pete Reed to appear here

Seniors Club Championship

Strokeplay, White tees

28th and 30th July 2026

The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who's going to stop me

Ayn Rand

The annual event to determine the Seniors Champion Golfer took place over 2 rounds on the 28th and 30th July under sunny skies with fairways continuing to provide their generous contributions to driving distances.

Before you are lulled into thinking that it must have been easy going, it's worth remembering Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  What this means on a sun dried, parched golf course is that any ball coming down from height is going to bounce and, if the ball comes down on a bumpy bit of turf then the angle of the bounce is going to be completely unpredictable.  The player that understands this can take advantage of the conditions by playing links style golf where the ball is kept as low as possible to reach the destination but high enough to miss the inordinate amount of humps and hollows on its journey.

Given the above, step forward the golfers who can vary their game according to the conditions and the champion will be one of them.  If you are a one-trick pony who whacks the ball and hopes that the golfing gods will smile on you for 36 holes then you will be found wanting.  In most players' experience, those same gods limit their generosity to one or two shots per round, the rest is up to the person swinging the club.

And so it was that the cream yet again rose to the top.  Ladbrokes and Paddy Power both had the willowy Steve Duckett at evens to clinch his 10th consecutive title, a run of wins not seen since Ivor Griffiths managed 5 between 2007 and 2013.  However, Bet365 and William Hill had heard rumours that a prodigal son had returned refreshed from the colonies and this information, coupled with the rumour that Mr D had a bit of twinge, was enough to make the aforementioned Saffer a tight odds-on favourite.

It was a mouthwatering battle for the Champions Cup with only 2 strokes between 1st and 3rd place after the first round but it was the second round where the pressure mounts and no quarter is neither asked nor given.  And so it was, that returning with a gross 72 each, the reigning champion and the new champion put on a show of not just great golf, but of genuine admiration, respect and friendship that set the finest example to all of us who love this game.  In the end, it was Laurie Burn who held is nerve to finish on top.  On accepting his award he was effusive in his praise for Steve Duckett who he said encouraged him during the final round despite being his closest competitor and former nemesis over so many years.

Such was the quality on display that Chris Angell, a man who knows how to play this game came in 3rd but a whole 9 strokes behind the 2nd placed Steve Duckett.

As if the drama of the Champions Cup wasn't enough, there was another competition going on for the Sandy Sanders Trophy, awarded to the best nett score over 2 rounds.  Unlike the Champions Cup, this time there was a runaway winner with Alan Clifford cutting a dash like Ben Hur on his chariot as he tore up the fairways to shoot an 81 followed by an 85 giving him a combined nett score of 124.  If your maths is anywhere decent you'll quickly see that his score was the equivalent of two nett 62's, a phenomenal two rounds by any standard and 9 shots better than his nearest rival in 2nd place.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press officer

The Scores

Champions Cup

Awarded to the best gross score over 36 holes in the Championship.   This cup was purchased by the Seniors Section in the early 1980's

1st Laurie Burn        147 (75 &72) – handicap reduced to 7.3

2nd Steve Duckett   149 (77 & 72)

3rd Chris Angell        158 (77 & 79)

4th Graham Wyatt    160 (80 & 80) – handicap reduced to 16.0

5th Gary Hayes         161 (84 & 77) – handicap reduced to 10.1

Sandy Sanders Trophy

Awarded to the best handicap nett score for 36 holes in the Championship. Sandy Sanders was a founder member of the Seniors Section. He passed away in 1983. His widow presented this trophy

1st Alan Clifford         124 (81 & 85) – handicap reduced to 22.1

2nd Mike Cavaney     133 (101 & 104) – handicap reduced to 41.7

3rd Frank Lockley      135 (96 & 91) – handicap reduced to 31.2

4th Alan Milburn        136 (91 & 84) – handicap reduced to 23.9

5th Mike Broom         139 (86 & 85) – handicap reduced to 20.7

Alan Clifford putting on the 18th to win the Sandy Sanders Trophy

Picture of Laurie Burn to follow when he returns to the club after spending his winnings

Jim Burgess Shield

Stableford, Yellow tees

23 July 2026

If I want a thing done well in a distant part of the world, if I require a man with a good head, a good heart and plenty of common sense, I always send for a man in the Royal Navy

Lord Palmerston

A warship firing a broadside – the most potent demonstration of power

This shield was originally played for as a knock-out competition but due to lack of entries, it was changed to a singles format from 2016. The format for this competition is Stableford over 18 holes.  Jim Burgess presented this shield to the section in 1978.  Jim was the Seniors Captain in 1985.

Another day in paradise as tired limbs (we'd already played once this week), creaked out onto the sun-baked heathland to participate in the regular four-hour ritual of self-humiliation or glory, depending on how the golfing gods smile on us on any particular day.

After the age-related confusion that was an intrinsic part of the Pinehurst/Chapman format two days ago, a simple Stableford competition off the yellow tees was a welcome respite and hopes were high of low scoring rounds.  In the final count, 17 of the 49 starters, over 33%, shot net par or better

Demonstrating the power that made the Royal Navy the envy of mariners the world over, Wayne Niles fired broadside after broadside and charted a course worthy of Nelson himself on his way to a well-deserved victory.  There was a challenge however, a very close one, but as always, when called upon to display bravery and fortitude, the man from the Senior Service was not found wanting.  Victory belonged to a man whose naval training had clearly taught him that no course is too difficult, no obstacle too daunting and no putt too long.

A special mention, commiserations even, should be given to Ian Coundon who shot his best ever score, a gross 74, yet another player who's getting close to shooting his age…

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results:

Division 1

1st  Ian Coundon – 45 points

2nd  Dave Jones – 38 points on countback

3rd  Richard Gay – 38 points

Division 2

1st and winner of the Jim Burgess Shield – Wayne Niles – 45 points on countback

2nd  Phil Kilburn – 43 points

3rd  Mike Broom – 41 points

Nearest the pin on the 11th – Barry Nicholas

Wayne Niles with the Jim Burgess Shield

Members Day Trophy

Pinehurst/Chapman format, Yellow tees

21 July 2026

Members Day was started in 2023 as a way of giving something back to all the Seniors.

Entry to the competition is free as are the refreshments afterwards.  The magnificent claret jug was presented by the Seniors Committee and goes to the pair with the best score in a Pinehurst / Chapman competition whereby both players tee off, play each other's ball for their second shot, then selecting the better ball, play alternate shots for the remainder of the hole.

The story goes that the format was cooked up back in the late 1940s by Dick and Eloise Chapman during a match at the legendary Pinehurst Resort. They were looking for a way to create a more balanced game for teams with different skill levels, especially for husband-and-wife pairings.

The result was pretty incredible. In March 1947, both teams in their foursome shot identical scores of 77 on back-to-back days. It was immediate proof that the Chapmans had created a uniquely fair and competitive format.

Apparently the key to this format is teamwork but it has to be said that if one player (let's call him Dave) is playing well but his partner (let's call him Wayne) is spraying the ball all over like a broken sprinkler, then success is not going to come your way.  More on Wayne in the next report.

What this format really needs is both players playing close to their respective handicaps and having the ability to take advantage of a partners good drive.  The other gift that's needed is the ability to hide the raging beast inside when time after time your second shot has to be played from a place on the course where you wouldn't even go to look for your lost kids.

The conditions once again flattered the topped shot or mis-hit which could still progress at least 150 yards down the fairway, providing of course that it was hit straight-ish.  Anything offline was punished like a ginger stepchild and it was soon discovered that it paid to keep it on the short stuff as shorts and brambles are not a happy combination.

Roy Nelson was once again on good form, partnered by Alan Clifford who obviously noted that his bar card was running low and chose to top it up with winnings rather than expose his debit card to the daylight that it hasn't seen for some time.  Roy's form is causing me some personal concern as it was noticed by her indoors that I have more photos of him on my phone than I do of her.

Anyway, it was another good day out on the links and, no matter how badly some of us played, we would still rather have been nowhere else but out in the sunshine with our mates, swapping stories, predicting the winning score and looking forward to the chance of winning a bottle of something that could either be drunk or preferably used to clean the patio.

Thanks to Bridget, Fiona and Jack and all who contributed to the post-match meal of kebab, salad and chips.  A few personal bests were achieved in that it was the first time that many had eaten a kebab before consuming 6 pints during a quiet night out.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results:

1st and winners of the Members Cup – Roy Nelson & Alan Clifford – net 59

2nd Hugh Marchant and Frank Lockley (Welcome back Frank) – net 60

3rd Phil Kilburn & Charlie VonLandau – net 61

Nearest the Pin:

2nd – Graham Wyatt

11th – Hugh Marchant

13th – Dave Titchmarsh

16th – Phil Kilburn

18th in 2 – Pete Reed

Roy Nelson and Alan Clifford, two highly tuned elite athletes, with the Members Day Trophy

Another Ace!

Hot on the heels of the hole-in-one from Mike Ahearn, up steps Ivor Griffiths with his 9 iron to send his Srixon Softfeel ball 137 yards towards the hole on the 11th with a baby draw.  It landed like a butterfly with sore feet, took a couple of hops and sought shelter in the cool shade in the bottom of the cup.  Well played Ivor!

Ivor Griffiths with his Hole-In-One Trophy

We Four Trophy

Texas Scramble, Yellow tees

16 July 2026

There are five captains in our four man team and I'm not one of them

Anon

Nothing brings a four-ball together quite like lining up a 15-foot putt that the previous three players already missed

Anon again

This trophy is for a four-man team consisting of a mix of high and low handicap members.  The draw for team members to be made in the Clubhouse prior to the competition (yeah, right!).  At least four tee shots to be taken by each team player.

The trophy was presented to the Seniors Section in 2009 by Ted Arnold, a member during the 1980's and1990's, when he played regularly with Peter Loveless, Stan Poulter and Sam Kingsworth.  The trophy is played for annually on a date set by the Competition Secretary.

When a Texas Scramble is played in winter, a gross score very close to par will normally be enough to secure a place on the podium.  In summer however, fast running fairways and big bounces mean that any team shooting par will be left trailing in the wake of those who can take advantage of the benign conditions.  You still have to make the putts though, and every bogey or in some cases par, is another nail driven into the coffin dodgers casket.

If any proof were needed of this it need only be pointed out that this year's winners romped home with a nett 17 under, beating their nearest rivals, also on 17 under by 3 shots on a back 9 countback.  By any standard that is good golf.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

1st and winners of the We Four Trophy – Pete Ayers, Trevor Davies, Steve Duckett and Phil Walker

Nett 52, back 9 – 22.

2nd –  Richard Gay, Richard Hammond, Dave Holt, Charlie Hughes

Nett 52, back 9 – 25

Nearest the pin on the 2nd – Steve Duckett

Steve Duckett, Trevor Davies, Phil Walker and Pete Ayers – winners of the We Four Trophy.

Photo courtesy of Roy Nelson

Peter Swann Trophy

Lynsome Format, White tees

14 July 2026

The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight, not more time over the ball

Ben Hogan

Let's start with a bit of fun, how about a quiz?

The glorious weather continued as we stretched our limbs like new born foals and set out to play the strangest golf format that any of us are ever likely to come across. Conversations ranged from 'what is a good score'? to 'why are we scoring gross'? and 'how many points did I get there'? If you were confused, you were not alone. Chris Bennett did his best to keep it simple by only giving us one instruction at a time and later showed his talent with a spreadsheet as the draw became apparent.

It soon became clear to many that, due to the matchplay nature of the second part of the format, a good front nine was essential otherwise it could be all over very early into the back 9. Playing strokeplay with a matchplay mentality is a gift that doesn't come easy to us seniors, some of whom have trouble counting past 5 anyway.

Once back in the clubhouse, the first round draw was announced, partners were found, pencils resharpened and the matchplay part ensued. More people joined the second round and the clubhouse resembled an audition for geriatric Strictly Come Dancing as side steps, fleckles and blatant toe stepping became part of the quest to find the right opponent.

In the end it was down to the final two, the cream had once again risen to the top and Roy Nelson sat opposite Chris Hughes like boxers in their corners whilst their numerically challenged seconds attempted to read the scorecards adjusted for handicaps. Meanwhile, in the background, the aforementioned Competition Secretary who had made such a good job of things so far, discovered that trying to do an impression of Ted Rogers on 3-2-1 (did anybody ever understand that?) just ended up looking like a Punch and Judy show without the puppets.

A recount was needed after several members wrongly assumed it was an audience participation event (it must have been the Punch and Judy) but in the end Roy Nelson took the applause of the crowd and came through the winner and also avoided by being eaten by the crocodile.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Roy Nelson with the Peter Swann Trophy

ACE!

02 July 2026

You can always spot the employee playing golf with his boss. He's the fellow who makes a hole in one and says, "oops!"

Bob Monkhouse

Standing in for the Captain on the July Monthly Medal day, Mike Ahearn calmly announced that there was a £1 fine for anyone that didn't hit the green on the fiendish 2nd hole. It has been said more than once that not only is it the hardest par 3 in Hampshire but that the shot required is similar to trying to stop the ball on the bonnet of a VW Beetle.

Having fleeced a quid from all the impoverished pensioners in the room, Mike then failed to mention that not only did he hit the green but he actually got a hole-in-one! You can take modesty just a bit too far, but then he was a little more forthcoming once he realised that ours is a club where you don't have to buy everyone a drink for achieving this rare feat. In other clubs it's a reason why the Scots and Yorkshiremen tend to play short on par 3 holes…

Distance – 138 yards, perfect strike, 2 bounces then disappeared to the lower tier

Club – wind assisted 50 degree wedge

Ball – Titleist Pro v1

Well played Mike!

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Mike Ahearn with his Hole-In-One trophy

The Lionel Burns Trophy

Stableford, Yellow tees

09 July 2026

Why Do We Do It?

I sliced one deep into the trees

Then hooked one in the lake

I spent more time just searching round

Than anyone should take

My putter turned against me fast

My driver lost its way

And by the time I reached the turn

I nearly called it a day

Then on the seventeenth I stood

With little hope to spare

I struck one clean and watched it soar

Like magic through the air

And that's the shot that brings me back

The reason why I stay

For one perfect moment every round

Makes all the rest ok

Courtesy of Dave Titchmarsh

Another scorcher and another trophy to be fought for by 22 players in Division 1 and 17 players in Division 2. The dry course and warm balls (leave it!) were contributing factors in 38% of the field shooting par or better.

Sadly there was no sight of Barry Nicholas who is probably still waiting for AA Home Start to come and fix his ball joints (I said leave it!) but other steady fairway finders stepped in to produce some great scores across both divisions.

Phil Walker continued to impress making the most of the conditions with the form that saw him win Division 1 and a nearest the pin prize just two days ago. I should have mentioned it then but unfortunately I got side tracked on a rant about slow play and had to close the lid on my laptop when the foam dripping from my mouth shorted out the keyboard. On advice from members whose opinions I respect, I deleted a part of it, as apparently, I was a little harsh and it was pointed out that it's possible to be sectioned for the written word as well as speech and actions. I'll try to be more sensitive in the future. Except to slow players.

The fines after the competition as usual outed some of the Seniors who thought that their misdemeanours might have passed unnoticed. One such miscreant was Alan Clark who was mistaken in thinking that a good round (more later) gave him the right to wear a fancy headdress in the clubhouse thus skirting around the no-cap rule. Although he channelled his inner Lawrence of Arabia, it was mistaken by Phil Kilburn for a judge donning the black cap to pass a death sentence which would have been much too harsh even for someone who only scored 5 points on the back 9. I said that I'd be much more sensitive so it really wouldn't be right to name the Competition Secretary who has recently had a near-death experience which means for the time being, he is no longer allowed to fuel himself with Players Number 6 and grand cru red wines. We look forward to seeing the post-op version return to form in due course.

Before the results, a special mention must be made regarding Alan Clark's score. His 41 points whilst good in itself was the result of a gross 83 which means that Alan shot a score better than his age, a feat that few golfers ever achieve. I'm not sure that we have a trophy for such rare events but I'm sure we all will want to congratulate Alan the next time our paths cross. Well done Alan, superb achievement and let's hope it's the first of many.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

Division 1

1st Phil Walker 40 points

2nd Neil Archibald 39 points

3rd Steve Duckett 38 points

4th Roy Nelson 38 points

Division 2

1st Alan Clark 41 points and winner of the Lionel Burns Trophy

2nd Mike Wharton 40 points

3rd Mike Stevenson 39 points

4th Hugh Marchant 38 points

Nearest the pin on the 2nd – Ivor Griffiths

Alan Clark with the Lionel Burns Trophy

Captain's Day

Medford, Yellow tees

07 July 2026

Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears

John Lennon

Photo courtesy of Charlie VonLandau

What a beautiful day for one of the highlights of the Seniors Section golfing calendar. Depending on where you were on the course there was a lovely breeze to cool us down and we only had to walk three paces in any direction for the sun to scorch our already browned and in some cases, wizened and thick skin.

It may have been the weather but again we witnessed some extraordinarily slow play. It should be mentioned that for some who are less mobile than others, the fact that they managed to get out and complete 18 holes is an admirable feat in itself and, if you're in that category, you are to be applauded.

If however you have no physical impairments but decide that the pace of play for your group will be solely dictated by your preferred walking speed, pre-shot routine and preparedness to play then you may find yourself in a group of similar minded golfers on a regular basis. It is simply unfair on your playing partners to amble between shots, wait until everyone has played before selecting your club and shot and then standing over the ball for 30 seconds before starting your swing. Rant over. For now.

The scene which greeted us in the clubhouse was like an Aladdin's cave of golfing goodies and every one of us began to imagine how nice it would have been to step out in a new pair of shoes if only that putt had dropped or if we'd kept our blob count down to one instead of four. Captain Phil Kilburn had assembled some very desirable prizes which, if we'd seen them before we set out, might have inspired each of us to try that little bit harder.

In the end, as usual in this format, it was a good day for the high handicappers although the legend that is Steve Duckett didn't leave empty handed, no doubt driven on by his nemesis, Laurie Burn, who was heartily welcomed back after his 4 month expedition to the colonies.

Chris Bennett also should be mentioned for his heartfelt words of thanks for the support he received during his recent health scare. The essence of his message was that the friendship that our section enjoys, the stories, the laughs, the encouragement and the support is far more important than chasing a ball round a field. Well said, Chris, that is the Seniors Section in a nutshell.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results (and there are a lot of them)

Division 1

1st. Phil Walker 13 Points

2nd. Graham Wyatt 15 Points

3rd. Mike Ahearn 15 Points

4th. Steve Duckett 16 Points

Division 2

1st. Michael Cavaney 10 Points

2nd. Harry Maitland. 11 Points

3rd. Jeff Hewett 14 Points

4th. Mike Broom 15 Points

Nearest the Pin

2 – Phil Walker

11 – Chris Hughes

13 – Michael Cavaney

16 – Brian Roberts

18 in 2 – Neil Archibald

Seniors v Ampfield

Matchplay, yellow tees

02 July 2026

Result – New Forest Seniors 51/2 Ampfield Seniors 1/2

Scores to date

Played 13

Won 8

Tied 2

Lost 3 – all on the IoW tour

July Monthly Medal

Strokeplay, white tees

02 July 2026

ACE! – Congratulations to Mike Ahearn, not only was he the only one to hit the green on the 2nd but he also scored a hole-in-one. A difficult feat on any hole but especially tricky on a green that repels golf balls like a Glaswegian refusing a salad.

Results

Division 1

1st Malcolm Evans

2nd Ross Matthews

3rd Chris Hughes

Division 2

1st Dave Titchmarsh

2nd Wayne Niles

3rd Alan Clifford

Nearest the pin on the 2nd – Mike Ahearn with his ace!

Above – Malcolm Evans, Division 1 (top) and Dave Titchmarsh, Division 2 (bottom) with their July Monthly Medals

Seniors v Wellow

Matchplay, yellow tees

30 June 2026

Once more apologies for the brevity of this report, outside agencies continue to occupy most of my attention.

The match was played in warm conditions with the morning rain dampening the greens just enough to take off the crispiness.

At least one fiercely fought game was decided on the 18th, with the New Forest team adding that hole to the one hole lead they'd gained on the 15th. Roy Nelson led from the front and his reserve putter was so hot we had to give it hydration breaks every 23 minutes…

In the end another fine win for Captain Phil's army with New Forest clinching it 4-2. Well done all!

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Scores to date

Played 12

Won 7

Tied 2

Lost 3 – all on the IoW tour

Frampton Cup

Stableford, white tees

25 June 2026

Apologies for the lack of a report, a domestic crisis is currently demanding my full attention.

Firstly, congratulations to Ivor Griffiths for a great hole in one with a perfect 9 iron strike on the 11th. Well done Ivor!

Results

Division 1

1st Graham Wyatt 41 Points

2nd Chris Bennett 37 points

3rd Martin Ranger 36 points

Division 2

1st Dave Barrett 42 points – Frampton cup winner, Seniors Section

2nd Phil Kilburn 36 points on countback

3rd Brian Roberts 36 points

Seniors v Paultons

Matchplay, yellow tees

23 June 2026

Eight good sharpshooters is by far a better choice than 12 mediocre ones

Horatio Nelson

Unfortunately, Paultons, our visitors today were only able to field 8 players instead of the usual 12. There are several reasons for this and sadly, they look unlikely to be resolved anytime soon but, on the flip side, we were treated to quality over quantity as their talented golfers fought hard in their respective duels in the sun.

It was hot, very hot, as those of you who played in the morning roll-up will know but we made good use of the various standpipes around the course to top up water bottles and soak hats, cooling scarves and bandanas.

Unfortunately, (there's that word again), at the time of writing, I'm unaware of any incidents worthy of reporting in the other fourballs during the match mainly because people know from experience that they'll find themselves being quoted in these reports. By the same token, I've noticed that some seniors are now reluctant to play with me as they know that their exploits, good and bad, will be reported on, sometimes with photographic evidence. At this point I'll encourage you all to tell tales after your rounds so that we always have a narrative, it doesn't have to be factually accurate, I've never been one to let the facts get in the way of a good story…

In any event, there was enough going on in our fourball to fill a few pages but I'll try and be brief as some of you will be overdue for an afternoon nap or a pre-sleep before the next World Cup match.

Every year, at the Oscars, there are 24 awards categories including one for the best actor in a leading role and one for the best actor in a supporting role. In our match yesterday, the first award would have, without doubt, gone to Terry 'Cannonball' Gordon who terrified not only the visitors in our fourball, but all four of the players in the group in front as he fired shots into them on the 12th and 15th greens with the accuracy of the gunners on HMS Victory when seeing off the French at Trafalgar.

The supporting actor award was a bit closer. Gareth, the lower handicapper in the Paultons team is an excellent golfer and his ability showed as he kept their hopes alive despite Cannonball's heroics. He in turn was supported by Nigel, an ex-pat who spends his winters in Swaziland (now Eswatini) and his summers here at his home in Wellow. Sadly, Nigel didn't have his best ever round as he spent more time in the sand than Lawrence of Arabia. Having said that, his tee shot on the 18th was a monster and as it flew up the fairway he was heard to shout 'that wasn't golf, that was pure f***ing anger!' Golf needs characters and Nigel fits the bill.

Back to the supporting actor; in the 'never-give-up' section there was one shot that can't pass without mention. Having decided that he needed a rest in the shade for a while, Cannonball put his tee shot on the 9th into the trees and, without missing a beat, muttered 'over to you partner, just get a 4'. Leadership at its finest. His partner's tee shot was good enough, as was the second but as so often happens, the ditch guarding the green opened up like a yawning chasm and gobbled up the third shot leaving two options, take a drop or play it as it lies. Anyone with any sense would have taken a drop but as Terry's partner could still see half of the ball he chose option 2. As he took his stance in ankle deep water, the cooling effect travelled all the way to the overheated particle of brain lodged in his skull which enabled him to play a splash out to six inches from a back right pin. Not a four as directed but a five, and good enough to discourage the opposition from thinking they might overcome luck with talent.

The comparative oasis of the clubhouse was very welcome and there seemed to be a lot more lager shandies (yes, we do cocktails) ordered than usual. Barry, being more of a man than the rest of us, stuck to his usual Guinness. The sandwiches and chips were very welcome as even in the heat we had all managed to build up a hunger. Conversations were struck up around the table and it seemed to be much easier with 16 instead of 24 players, stories and jokes were told and we all felt blessed that we were still able to get out and enjoy ourselves at this stage in our lives.

In the end it was a victory for the New Forest team with a 4-0 clean sweep. The individual game scores really don't matter on a day where mutual respect and a shared love of this amazing game that keeps us mobile were the most important things.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Scores to date

Played 11

Won 6

Tied 2

Lost 3 – all on the IoW tour

Not saying it was hot but the jelly babies turned into Siamese twins!

Summer Plate and Hyundai Trophy

Strokeplay, White tees

16 June 2026

He started the round clean shaven and finished with a full beard

Lee Trevino

On a day where the pace of play was, at best, glacial, the cream rose to the top and three players will see their bar cards credited with a well deserved financial reward for shooting net pars or less.

The scoring hasn't been as good as it could have been of late, the Jim Worsley Trophy saw 6 players and the June Monthly Medal saw 5 players coming in at par or better. Is it the conditions or has a mid-season tiredness started to tell on us old bullets with it adversely affecting our judgement, distance and aiming? Maybe it's the effect of late nights staying up to watch the World Cup as the likes of Cape Verde, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar confound the pundits and makes them look as foolish as any of us trying to vector a long, cross-green, downhill putt to a front right red pin on the 15th.

Or maybe it's the speed (or lack of it) at which we're forced to play. The game of golf has a certain rhythm to it, you tee it up, hit it, walk (not stroll or amble) to your ball thinking about your options for the next shot, choose your club then hit it again. On the green you line up your putt, make the stroke, watch the ball and vow to do better with your next two putts. When the hole is over, you walk to the next tee, mark the card and repeat. A four hour round of golf equates to 13.3 minutes per hole, some holes are played more quickly some more slowly but 13.3 is the average. Today's round for our particular group was 4½ hours or an average of 15 minutes per hole. That rhythm mentioned above? Gone. Only to be replaced by frustration, impatience and a desire to speed things up, and we all know to our cost the effects of trying to speed up the golf swing…

So, what to do? Here are some tips, not mine, but taken from the USGA and the R&A recommendations:

Choose your club early: While walking to your ball or while others are hitting, assess your yardage, check the wind, and select your club

Limit practice swings: Take no more than one practice swing, set up to the ball, and execute your shot in 30 to 40 seconds

Carry extra balls: Always keep 1 or 2 extra balls in your pocket so you don't have to walk back to your bag if you hit one out-of-bounds

Read putts early: While others are putting, study your own line and be ready to step up when it is your turn.

Continuous putting: If you have a short "gimmie" or a tap-in, go ahead and knock it in rather than marking it and waiting.

Play "ready golf": Instead of waiting strictly for the player farthest away, whoever is ready and safe to hit should go ahead and take their shot

Watch your ball: Pay close attention to where your ball finishes and make a mental note of landmarks in case it goes into the rough

Limit ball searches: Under current rules, you have up to 3 minutes to search for a lost ball. If you suspect it might be lost, announce and hit a provisional ball to avoid walking all the way back. If you do have to do the 'walk of shame' don't then spend another 3 minutes looking for the ball

As mentioned above, from the moment it is your turn to play it should take you no longer than 30-40 seconds to hit a golf shot. Ideally, you should aim for a much quicker 15 to 20 seconds from club selection to the moment of impact. Anything longer than this and you'd be considered a player who freezes, but even then there are techniques to break out of it and make the morning more pleasurable for your playing partners.

Sports psychologists and coaches universally recommend establishing a strict "Think Box" and "Play Box"

1. The Think Box: Stand behind the ball, visualize the shot, and decide on the club and target.
2. The Play Box: Step into the ball and never stay still.
3. The Dynamic Trigger: Add continuous movement, like a forward press, a foot shuffle, or a club "waggle".
4. The 1-2 Rule: Make your final look at the target last only 1 to 2 seconds, and then instinctively pull the trigger.

If all the above sounds like a nag, I can assure you that it's really not meant to be, it's a reminder of how each of us can make a Tuesday or Thursday morning a more enjoyable experience for the 40 odd other people who are sharing the course. It applies to all of us but if you're one of those people now thinking 'I'll take as much time as I want to' then yes, it is a nag and a well deserved one.

This is also worth a read: Are you a slow player?

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

Division 1

1st Chris Hughes Net 69 Winner of the Summer Plate on countback

2nd Graham Wyatt Net 69

3rd Mike Ahearn Net 70

Division 2

1st Phil Kilburn Net 67 Winner of the Hyundai Trophy

2nd Colin Hibberd Net 70

3rd Colin Bailey Net 71

Nearest the Pin on the 16th Alan Milburn

Chris Hughes (l) and Phil Kilburn (r) with the Summer Plate and Hyundai Trophy

The Brian Randall Cup

Strokeplay, White tees

11 June 2026

June is the pearl of summer, shining with warmth and joy.

L.M. Montgomery

The Brian Randall trophy was first played for in 2021 and was presented by his daughter after he sadly passed away the previous year. Brian joined the NFGC Seniors in 1991, won his first trophy in 1997 and went on to win four in the same year in 2009. Brian was a lovely man and a pleasure to play a round of golf with.

The above quote re June is, of course, ironic as the turnout for the competition was severely depleted by the threat of rain and strengthening winds. A field of 36 today was 6 short of the 42 who showed up for the May Monthly Medal when the weather seemed to be much kinder and we were reaching for the Hawaiian Tropic rather than the Helly Hansens (other protection is available).

And, true to the forecast, the threat actually materialised catching out those of us that awoke to early morning sunshine and were fooled into thinking that the meteorologists had got it wrong again. In reality, they hardly ever do make mistakes nowadays with supercomputers analysing years of historic data from either the Met Office or the ECMWF, but we can't discount what our eyes are telling us, especially if it means us being able to enjoy a few hours of fun and self-deprecation in the English countryside.

Of course, as we get the rain, so the bogs, ditches and streams delight (or so it seems) in making things just that bit harder for us that try to deprive them of the golf balls that they seem to love to devour. Once an errant ball ventures into what could possibly be a watery grave there are a few options open to us one of which is to play the ball as it lies. One brave soul who chose that way out was the multiple trophy winner, Jon Shore, who was determined that his drive, which changed direction four times before nestling on a clump of moss in the bog in front of the 10th, was going to get the full treatment. The photo below shows the strike and if you click on it you can watch the video. Jon came out well, scoring a net birdie 4 but in doing so deprived us of a good contribution to You've Been Framed.

Jon Shore shows how to play out of a water filled penalty area

In the end, as usual, we all had fun and the range of misdemeanours leading to fines yet again was put to good use in Phil Kilburn's charity pot. It should be noted that fines are limited to no more than one each at a cost of £1 which is good news for our vice-captain Dave Jones. Such was the level of his indiscretions and cavalier attitude that without the £1 limit he would have been in danger of having to complete a direct debit mandate. He was good fun to play with though and is a great example of how to enjoy the game without taking things over-seriously. He's not bad at it either!

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

Division 1

1st Steve Duckett Net 70

2nd Robin Swanston Net 72 on countback

3rd Dave Jones Net 72

Division 2

1st Mike Stevenson Net 69 Trophy winner

2nd Charlie VonLandau Net 71

3rd Jon Shore Net 72 on countback

Nearest the Pin on the 16th – Nobody seemed to want it as all 36 players missed the green!

Mike Stevenson with the Brian Randall Cup

(photo – Phil Kilburn)

The Jim Worsley Memorial Trophy

Stableford, Yellow tees

4 June 2026

Don't just stand there, let's get to it, Strike a pose there's nothing to it.

Vogue, Madonna, 1990

If you have been affected in any way by the above photo, we have set up a helpline at www.iwanttogougemyeyesout.com

I was reminded of the above lyric whilst walking towards the 5th green and glancing towards the 6th where Ian Coundon was about to hit his tee shot. I looked up again later when I got to the green and Ian was still there holding the pose after his shot, perfectly balanced and smiling. In the meantime, his playing partners had taken the time to clean their clubs and tell a few jokes but it made me think that there was something in that finish that should be shared more widely so here it is:

'I am telling you this observation as a way to help you. This is as close to the "secret of golf" as it comes. If your intention is to make a swing that ends in a proper and balanced finish, the resulting shot will most likely be something pleasing to you as well as your scorecard. How can this be? A balanced finish is a product of a proper swing and using the proper engines to create that swing. If a golfer gets violent with their arms and shoulders when the club transitions from back swing to forward swing, the golfer will tend to be off balance at the finish.' George Connor, Golfing Monthly 2020

And so on to the competition.
This trophy was first played for in 2025 and was presented by the family of Jim Worsley who was a much liked and prominent member of the Seniors Section. Jim was renowned for his positivity, his knowledge that somewhere in the world it would always be Brandy O'clock, and that no matter how bad the round of golf, there was "Always the Raffle". Jim died in September 2024 after a short illness and is very much missed by all.

The wind blew but we all managed to stay dry which unfortunately can't be said for those seniors who decided to play in the ProAm instead of venturing out with their intrepid band of brothers.

Apart from the appearance of a global megastar (see above) there's really not much more to report apart from the fact that only 4 players managed par or better and that Jon Shore picked up another trophy on his route to a lower handicap.

If you happen to be one of those members that have a chunter about higher handicappers winning competitions then there are a few things that need to be considered. Firstly, you have to look at the winning scores and ask yourself if on any given day, if you played at your very best, could you equal it or beat it. If the answer is yes then there's nothing to be concerned about, you know that your day will come and you'll have your name in lights whilst everyone else chunters about how they could have been the winner.

Secondly, if the answer is no, then console yourself that any player who keeps winning will have their handicap reduced and eventually they will be playing on a much more level playing field. In Jon's case, he has been chopped by 5.6 strokes in the last 2 rounds!

The next question is 'are the scores outlandish', well, unless someone is constantly coming in with scores in the mid 40's or above then the answer is no. WHS also additionally penalises anyone who shoots any score which is 7 strokes better than their handicap.

Finally (although this could go on for some time), is your handicap reflective of your playing ability at this moment of time? It's only by submitting cards that your handicap can be adjusted properly and if you're currently returning Score Differentials in the mid 20's when your Handicap Index is 15, eventually you'll catch up. If you're now saying that you don't want your handicap to go up then you have only 2 options, you either have to improve your game or you have to sit in the clubhouse and applaud the winners who are working hard to improve their game.

There's a link here which will explain Handicap Indexes in more detail.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

Division 1

1st Andy Homes 36 points

2nd Hugh Marchant 35 points

3rd Malcolm Evans 35 points

Division 2

1st Jon Shore 41 points – Winner of the Jim Worsley Trophy

2nd Dave Barrett 39 points

3rd Alan Milburn 36 points

Nearest the Pin in 2 on the 15th – Neil Archibald

Jon Shore with the Jim Worsley Trophy

June Monthly Medal

Strokeplay, White tees

2 June 2026

A thunder-storm! the eloquence of heaven, When every cloud is from its slumber riven, Who hath not paused beneath its hollow groan, And felt Omnipotence around him thrown? With what a gloom the ush'ring scene appears! The leaves all shiv'ring with instinctive fears, The waters curling with a fellow dread, A veiling fervour round creation spread, And, last, the heavy rain's reluctant shower, With big drops patt'ring on the tree and bower, While wizard shapes the bowing sky deform, All mark the coming of the thunder-storm!

Robert Montgomery

Still awake? Not sure if you noticed but the heavens opened right before and right after the June Monthly Medal. I'd like to think that our Competition Secretary has a direct line to the Almighty but when I checked it seems that the only numbers he had on speed dial were Threshers and Majestic, both retail wine merchants apparently…

As usual with the Monthly Medal, we were grouped into our respective handicap categories not only with Divisions 1 and 2, but further sub-divided so that we were playing with friends of apparently similar ability. It's a good way to have a round of golf as the more gifted players can whizz round without the frustrations of having to search for so many errant balls whilst the less talented amongst us are able to empathise with our playing partners when yet another ball heads into a bush, stream or bog.

The important thing across all talent levels though is to be aware of the speed of play remembering that you should always be ready to play your next shot and to play your shot before joining the search for others. Ready golf has been a big step forward in increasing the enjoyment of our sport and if you're not sure what it means then it's worth clicking here to discover more.

Chris Bennett mentioned the possible visit of the handicap axe man when announcing the results and it seems that his wish was granted when the top 3 players in each division were cut overnight. To my knowledge this is the first time it's happened and it's testament not only to the course playing shorter due to the recent dry weather but also to the high standard of golf played today.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

Division 1

1st Ross Matthews Net 64 Cut from 21.2 to 20.8 (-0.4)

2nd Graham Wyatt Net 67 on countback Cut from 18.7 to 18.4 (-0.3)

3rd Roy Nelson Net 67 Cut from 18.8 to 18.4 (-0.4)

Division 2

1st Jon Shore Net 63 Cut from 46.9 to 44.4 (-2.5)

2nd Wayne Niles Net 69 Cut from 28.3 to 28 (-0.3)

3rd Colin Hibberd Net 70 Cut from 22.8 to 22.6 (-0.2)

NTP on 13 Alan Milburn

Ross Matthews (l) and Jon Shore (r) with their June Monthly Medals

And finally a bit of fun so you're all aware of the new Clubhouse dress code…

Phil Wright Trophy

Pairs Aggregate, Red tees

28 May 2026

You should always try before you buy, especially when buying a putter. Never buy a putter until you've seen how well you can throw it.

Tyrrell Hatton

The Phil Wright Trophy was first played for in 2025 with the plaque being presented by Phil's wife Gill, also a member of the Seniors Section. Celebrating not only Phil's life but also the introduction of gender neutral tees to New Forest Golf Club, this trophy competition is played off the red tees as Phil was renowned for commenting on how unfair it was for him that Gill was playing a shorter course than him! Phil sadly died in 2023 and is much missed by all.

The weather continued to be gloriously warm and sunny as 48 Seniors employed a bewildering variety of cooling devices whilst playing in an event which requires teamwork, encouragement, adaptability and good course management.

For most pairings, it wasn't until their 3rd or 4th hole that they realised that something wasn't quite right, not only were they mostly on different parts of the course than usual after their tee shots but different stroke indexes confused the already over-cooked brains.

The 14th is a case in point. A hole which for some is a driver off the yellows or whites now became anything from a gap wedge to an 8 iron depending on the choice of shot which could be under, over or in some case around the tree that bars the straight path to the green. Added to that is the huge change in stroke index where normally anyone playing off six would get a shot, however, this time around you'd need to be off seventeen or more to gain any kind of advantage.

Then again, this game is all about swings and roundabouts, what you lose on one you might gain on another. When was the last time any of us had a shot on the 12th? At SI 18 it's only a select bunch who can score 2 points for shooting a 5 but off the reds, at SI 12 it's there for the taking and is deemed to be as difficult as the 15th is when playing off the yellows.

One more anomaly is the 18th, the red tee can't be more than 3 yards in front of the yellow but there is a difference of 6 in the stroke index from 14 to 8. A word of caution before anyone mentions the vagaries of course rating, it should be first remembered that the stroke indexes are set by the club and not by an outside agency!

I mentioned course management above and one hole where it was key was the 9th. For mere mortals, the normal routine is a driver followed by the wood or hybrid of choice and then seeing what's left and deciding if it's worth taking on the narrow but very annoying ditch. Suddenly, from the reds, the hole is 62 yards shorter and the whole thought process has to change. A 200 yard drive leaves a 153 yard carry to the front of the green but in the conditions today, with a fast-running fairway and a gentle following breeze, 130 yards was the distance on offer to secure the 'I-hit-the-green-in-two' bragging rights. One player was seen to take on the challenge. His 3rd shot was a chip out of the ditch that resembled an explosion in a Marmite factory, his 4th a bit closer to the hole and fortunately the 5th one dropped for a par. That one hole has meant him spending the last half-hour washing the mud off his shoes, shorts, shirt and whole lower body. No names, no pack drill but Mrs Stevenson isn't happy about the state of her kitchen…

After the competition, the usual suspects cleaned up in the raffle and the jollity continued with the fines. Terry Jones wisely made an early escape thus saving £1 after having an unfortunate (and prolonged) incident involving a battle of wills between a parking cone and his trolley in the car park before we got underway. As always, there was no shortage of witnesses eagerly queuing up to recount their version of this and other misdeeds to Phil Kilburn who was rightly, only too eager to extract the maximum revenue for his charity.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Results

Phil Wright Trophy Winners Graham Wyatt & Peter Reed – 74 Points

2nd Place Roy Nelson & Rob Young – 73 Points

3rd Place Neil Archibald & Dave Stredder – 70 Points

NTP on 8 – Mike Stevenson

NTP on 14 – Martin Ranger

Graham Wyatt and Pete Reed with the Phil Wright Trophy

Seniors v Burley

26 May 2026

FBBB Matchplay, Yellow tees

If profanity had an influence on the flight of the ball, the game of golf would be played far better than it is.

Horace G. Hutchinson

Chris Bennett's ball on the 17th fairway

This time last year in the corresponding fixture, the report focussed on the Beaufort Scale to highlight the 39 mph winds that turned umbrellas inside out and made golf an ordeal that even the winners didn't enjoy. After that game, all 12 players hurried indoors to enjoy the warmth of the clubhouse and a very welcome cottage pie and gravy.

Fast forward 12 months, another football season now over, dishing out mixed fortunes to our eclectic bunch of seniors and their chosen teams and with the play-off matches at Wembley being stopped frequently for 'cooling breaks'. How we could have done with a few of those today with temperatures touching 35 degrees, the kind of heat usually experienced in the Middle East but without the advantage of an oasis on every hole.

The pro shop was doing a roaring trade in cooling scarves, a bargain at £4.99 and which did the job for a few holes before getting another soaking at an adjacent standpipe. Various types of floppy wide brimmed headwear were also soaked frequently with the drips running off the edges like corks on an Aussie sheep shearers trilby.

A few of the greens that get the sun all day have started to brown around the edges giving the appearance of those potato crisps that are made with the peel left on. It was especially notable on the 9th where the ditch also seems to be giving in to the weather with the water flow now down to a trickle. The wet bit can't be more than a foot wide now but it still seems to attract balls as if it has its own gravitational field and having snared them, makes them disappear like Dave Scott on a Strokeplay comp day.

The golf was a mixed bag today, in one game, one of the Burley players didn't put a foot wrong and after 16 holes (they started on the 17th) with it still being all square, the New Forest players were still looking for a weakness in his game. Fortunately, the course came to their rescue and the tricky uphill putt on the 15th finally caught him in a weak moment. One up with one to play but with the Captain's bunker, yawning as wide as a clown's mouth, catching both the NF player's well struck but short balls. In the end, the received shot counted as the hole was halved and that particular match was won with the very last stroke.

Heading back to the clubhouse we were all hoping it wasn't going to be cottage pie again or Lancashire Hot Pot or indeed anything that was going to raise our core temperatures past already critical levels. In the end, the rolls, sandwiches and fries was a perfect meal to accompany the Captain's speeches. Soft drinks were consumed faster than a Southampton spy running from a training ground and the relief of the cooler clubhouse was on a par with that of the Spurs manager on Sunday afternoon.

When the results were announced by the Burley Captain, there were audible gasps as it was announced that despite the pessimism from the boys in green, the New Forest team came out on top with a 3 ½ -2 ½ win.

After the reality check of the Isle of Wight tour, winning ways were established once again with the current table now standing at Played 10, Won 5, Tied 2, Lost 3.

Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer

Seniors IoW Tour 2026

Matchplay, yellow tees

19th – 21st May 2026

She thinks of nothing but the Isle of Wight, and she calls it the Island, as if there were not another island in the world.

Jane Austen, from Mansfield Park

Chapter One

The annual Isle of Wight Tour is always a tough gig, not only because of the quality of the opposition and the unfamiliarity of the courses we play, but also the late nights caused by the insomnia due to the jet lag, a by-product of the 35 year time difference.

One plan was to have a bonding and team-building session at the Red Funnel terminal in Southampton, but that idea was quickly put to bed on learning that four of the close-knit brotherhood had gone ahead on the earlier crossing, possibly in hope of securing a bigger breakfast. Team spirit? Maybe later.

The weather forecast for the first match v Ryde had been looking grim for days ahead but each one of us lived in the hope that we had known such predictions to be false, (Michael Fish was mentioned). Half-way across the Solent having consulted at least eight weather apps and having seen gaps in the clouds, it was assumed that we were going to get away with it and indeed, after a much anticipated breakfast, the six teams got away in muggy weather hoping that we could start the tour with at least a draw, thus preserving our unbeaten start to the season.

After 2 holes we were peeling off layers as the temperature increased and we were were wondering whether factor 20 or factor 30 might be the most appropriate protection.

It wasn't until we'd played five holes that the heavens opened and a downpour accompanied by strong winds had us all scrambling for the wet weather gear that we thought we wouldn't need. Brollies went up and were attached to trollies which only served to turn them into the land-based version of the fast sailing yachts that we'd been avoiding just two hours before. Spirits dropped and our opponents smiled as they sensed that our prime concern was now how we were going to get our kit dried out in a hotel room before the match tomorrow.

For those that haven't played Ryde, their 7th hole (and 16th, it's a 9-hole course), is a steep, uphill par 3 to a green guarded by bunkers. On the card it says 132 yards off the yellows and the fact that many players decided that driver was the appropriate club will give a little idea of the conditions. If getting up to the green was difficult, then coming back down was so hard on the knees that some chose to do it backwards. I've no idea who the current chancellor is, (it'll have changed again by the time this is published), but he could save a lot of money on pension payments if he advised people to come and play here.

In the end, only one match was close, having been decided on the last hole with a New Forest player missing a difficult putt for a half. Before heading off to find our hotel (pub), we had a meal of roast pork (I had no idea it came wafer-thin like ham) and veg and then headed via Newport to lick our wounds. A quiet evening ensued as, like all highly-tuned athletes, we restored our electrolyte levels and reflected on our collective and individual areas for improvement against Cowes in the morning.

Chapter Two

Let's try not to be silly arses

Lord Charles

A new day, a new challenge, a 10:00 start was planned for Cowes so breakfast was arranged for 08:00 and, as we worked our way through eggs, bacon, sausages and other health foods, we felt a bit of life returning to tired limbs.

It's only a short drive from the Cowes Hilton to the golf course so we arrived in good time. I'm not sure if mind games are a thing at this level but it was a long time before any of us had any idea of what time we might start but once we did get going we were split over two tees so the delay had less of an impact. There was some surprise as Cowes couldn't field a full team and last minute stand-ins were drafted to make sure that everyone at least had a game. Chris Bennett was overjoyed to be playing against a 30 year old with a 30 handicap who hit the ball further than he did!

At least the weather was kinder to us than the day before and, although we still had a strong wind, we stayed dry. We were all also grateful that the course was much flatter than the one at Ryde and as a result we needed much less after-match liquid refreshment to accompany the superb deconstructed steak pie. Our resident chef, Ian Coundon, was still singing its praises the next day and rightly so.

As far as results go, we did better than the previous day thanks to Hugh Marchant who, in the words of Captain Phil Kilburn had a great 'purple patch' in the middle of the round which their opponents couldn't come back from.

An afternoon nap was the order of the day for nearly everyone after just one drink in the hotel bar. The plan was to meet up again at 18:00 but only Ian and Mike Stevenson were up to the challenge and the rest joined only when they'd had their 4 hour pre-sleep. Another early night was on the cards preceded by take-aways including kebabs, wraps, yum-yums (that was Chris), pie and chips and in Mike Ahearn's case, a very brave hot and spicy pizza.

Chapter Three

Thursday brought what many anticipated what would be the tour highlight with the match against Osborne set in the stunning grounds of Queen Victoria's former residence.

The sun shone, the flowers were in bloom, the hosts and food were tremendous and it was a fitting end to the tour. Again, there was an improvement in performance but sadly not enough to produce that elusive and highly sought after win. Tiredness may have been a factor, not many Seniors play 3 games on the trot. For some it was actually 4 as there's a group who have a knockabout on the Monday but that's really an excuse to put the world to rights over a cup of coffee and an egg banjo.

If you ever get the chance to play Osborne then go and do it. The whole course is immaculate, not only do they cut the greens every day, they also iron them and even their temporary greens looked like finely woven Axminster carpet. Dave Jones looked up the annual subscription after the round and was shocked like everyone else to learn that it's only £900 a year for a 7 day membership. It's worth at least twice that but please don't tell them, some of us might want to emigrate!

Match results

Ryde 6, NF 0

Cowes 5, NF 1 (stewards enquiry ongoing for fielding under-age players) Win by Phil Kilburn and Hugh Marchant

Osborne 3½, NF 2½ Wins by Phil Kilburn and Mike Ahearn (4&3), Roy Nelson and Mike Stevenson (3&1) and a half from Dave Jones and Wayne Niles.

We'll be back next year, the trend is upwards and we're all a little bit wiser!

Harry Young Cup

Strokeplay, Gross, White tees

14 May 2026

Strokeplay in golf is a rigorous, often unforgiving format focused on cumulative scoring, mental stamina, and precision over the entire course.

Ben Hogan

The Harry Young Cup is a Strokeplay competition played in two divisions with the cup being won by the best gross score. Harry Young was a member of the Seniors Section from 1988 until his untimely death in 2002. He was Senior Captain in 1997.

If Strokeplay is not for the fainthearted then gross Strokeplay, the format that the professionals play, can be a terrifying prospect for anyone not at the very top of their game. The winner can justifiably claim to be the very best golfer on the day with no handicap to hide behind and no quarter either asked or given. It is the golfing equivalent of a heavyweight boxing bout or a marathon, a test of every aspect of the players game knowing that just one slip can, and often does make the difference between success and failure. All in all, anyone trying to win a gross Strokeplay competition would need a calm disposition, a variety of shots, a first-class short game and be an excellent putter. That man today was Chris Angell who shot a 76 leaving the bookies odds on favourite, Steve Duckett, trailing 2 shots behind with a 78.

Chris shot 2 birdies and 8 pars on his way to victory and, to prove he is human, he threw in the surprising addition of a double bogey on the stroke index 18 12th hole.

Well played Chris!

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Chris Angell with the Harry Young Cup

(photo Chris Bennett)

Millenium Shield

Stableford, White tees

12 May 2026

Golf is an awkward set of bodily contortions designed to produce a grateful result

Tommy Armour

Increasingly blustery conditions but some warm spells of sunshine provided the backdrop to the first of this week's Seniors outings. Four weeks ago, par was a winning score but the fact that 21% of the starting field shot par or better today shows that the course is improving slowly. If it carries on like this we'll all be hitting 2 clubs less in August!

Nearest the pin on 14 – John Pickering

Division 1

1st Steve Duckett 39 points

2nd Andy Godwin 37 points

3rd Phil Walker 36 points

Division 2

1st Mike Stevenson 40 points – Trophy winner

2nd Alan Milburn 39 points

3rd Malcolm Guy 38 points

Mike Stevenson with the Millenium Shield (AI was used to smarten him up a bit)

Seniors v Wellow (Away)

Matchplay

11 May 2026

If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.

Jack Lemmon

What an absolute joy it was to play on a beautifully manicured course against tough but fair opponents and to share a delicious barbecue and a few drinks afterwards.

If you haven't played at Wellow yet, it's worth enquiring about the visitors green fee then getting a few mates together and enjoying 18 holes of golf in peace and quiet on a course which will challenge your shotmaking but reward good golf and course management.

The course to be played on any given day is made up of two of the three 9 hole courses that Wellow has to offer. For today's match we played the Ryedown and Embley courses which consisted of undulating parkland with generous fairways and large greens. It's a particular joy for Seniors as there are no steep climbs and even the par 5's are not so long as to require more than the usual frequency of asthma inhalers or pain-killing drugs.

After the pairings were announced, the six fourballs set off with Captain Phil Kilburn leading from the front like Don Quixote and Dave Scott playing the role of the loyal and dedicated Sancho Panza. The remaining groups followed with John 'The Grinder' Pickering and Terry Gordon as the anchormen at the end. As the individual matches ended and the groups filtered into the clubhouse, there were murmurings of the anticipated score with deadpan faces giving nothing away.

The tension continued to heighten as we had to wait until all the plates of burgers, chicken, sausages, spicy (very) chips, coleslaw and in some cases, salad were emptied. If the golf was a treat then the food was the icing on the cake which rounded off the day spent in the company of generous hosts who went out of their way to give us a memorable experience.

In the end, the scores had to be announced and the visitors in the Forest Green shirts were visibly apprehensive as they feared that the unbeaten streak of the 2026 season had finally come to an end. Fortunately, thanks to a combination of good fortune and some outstanding golf, the New Forest team clung onto their run of good form and came away with a 3 ½ – 2 ½ win.

We very much look forward to the return match in June where hopefully, we can reciprocate the outstanding hospitality of the Wellow team.

2026 Results to date

Played 6, Won 4, Drawn 2, Lost 0

Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer

Seniors v Highcliffe GC (Away)

Matchplay

Friday 8th May 2026

Result – Highcliffe 3, New Forest 3

Results this season – Played 5, Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 0

May Monthly Medal

Strokeplay, White tees

07 May 2027

You don't get any medal for trying something, you get medals for results

Bill Parcells

Before we get onto today's competition, here's a little tip for those of you who aren't sure about the rule regarding either a free drop or a drop under penalty. The first thing to remember is that with a drop under penalty, you get up to two club lengths relief and for a free drop, you get up to one club length from the nearest point of complete relief. This is best remembered by the phrase 'buy 2, get 1 free'.

So – if you have a free drop because your ball is in animal droppings in the General Area (you don't get relief if it's in animal droppings in a Penalty Are), the first thing to do is determine where the nearest point is that you would get complete relief i.e where you can stand and play your intended shot without hindrance, then drop within a club length of that point, not nearer the hole BUT before you take your drop, you are allowed to clear away any loose impediments from the area where you intend to drop the ball. This is a good example of using the rules to your advantage. The late, great, Seve Ballesteros was an absolute master of this art and used his knowledge of the rules to his full advantage, particularly useful as he had to play quite a few shots out of car parks, grandstands and other immovable obstructions and animal burrows. It's also worth bearing in mind that a free drop doesn't guarantee you a good lie or a clear shot to the green, it's simply there to enable you to play a shot without hindrance from whatever obstruction you're taking relief from.

Seve – A master of the craft of using the rules to his advantage

And so to today – cold then warm then cold then hot. The weather?? No, that was Dave Titchmarsh's putter as he plotted his way round our inland links slowly putting together a score that will see his handicap plummet overnight. Six pars plus limiting the bad holes to just four double bogeys is a good way for a Division 2 player to get on or close to the podium (we really should have a podium), and it could have been even better if he and his playing partners had found a way to navigate the (insert your own adjective here) greens.

Meanwhile, in Division 1, the perennial Steve Duckett, who plays a different game to most of us, was putting together 2 birdies, 11 pars and just 5 bogeys on his way to compiling a gross score that was somewhere close to the net scores of some of us mere mortals.

The usual car park chatter of near misses seemed to indicate that not too many people were overjoyed with their rounds and the results, showing that only two players bettered par, bore testament to the obvious frustrations.

Special mention must be made of Alan Milburn for a very rare net Albatross on the 3rd. Receiving two shots on his 95% playing handicap, he played a delightful shot to the green to leave a nervy tap in for a 4 net 2 on a par 5. Sadly, having had to endure the walk of shame after a errant drive on the 5th, he really didn't fancy doing the same thing again after losing his ball on the 10th and with good humour, chose to accept a DQ in preference to a long walk.

Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer

And the results:

Nearest the Pin on the 2nd – Alan Clark, and it was very close!

Division 1 Monthly Medal – Steve Duckett with a net 68

Division 2 Monthly Medal – Dave Titchmarsh with a net 65

Dave Titchmarsh (r) presenting gifts to his date for the Summer Ball

The Reavely Chain

Individual Stableford, White tees

05 May 2026

It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. It took one afternoon on the golf course.

Hank Aaron

The Reavely Chain is a competition played for by all sections of the Club. Each section plays its own individual competition and allocates its own prizes (just cash in the Seniors case) with the overall trophy winner being the best score from all the combined sections.
Seniors may enter both the Seniors and the Mens Section competitions to compete for the prize vouchers but must nominate prior to the competition played first which of the two they wish their scorecard to count towards the trophy.
The trophy is awarded at the Club AGM.

We started again in chilly, blustery conditions even though the forecast told us that the winds would be only 5mph…

Having checked the Beaufort Scale, a 5mph wind is classified as a Force 2 or a light breeze which is described as 'it will be felt on the face, leaves will rustle and weather vanes will begin to move'. Three steps up the scale we come to a Force 5 which is described as a fresh breeze where small trees begin to sway. For small trees, read golfers, although fortunately in the Seniors Section, many have lower centres of gravity (and medication) as a result of years of good living.

Before setting out, we were informed that the score to beat was 42 points set by a member of the Mens Section on the previous Sunday, a tough score to beat in breezy conditions and on greens which in many cases resembled the topside of an unbuttered Warburtons crumpet. With that news, many players chose to use the day as a loosener for the May Monthly Medal, due to be played in 2 days time, a last chance to check that new chipping technique and to see if it was feasible to carry the penalty areas on 9, 10, 15 and 16. Some chose to check the distance they could go out of bounds on the 3rd before a couple of bounces and a left to right run down the slope returned the ball to safety. John Pickering provided some light relief by demonstrating how to use a floating bog as a trampoline. In a spontaneous act of random kindness he went to retrieve Charlie VonLandau's 10 yard drive (putt) off the 17th tee and returned with shoes as clean as when he started his round. Apparently walking on water was a skill he learned as a scout leader although he didn't mention if he got his turning water into wine badge too.

All in all, as always the Seniors had a good day, we stayed dry and the Captain's charity is better off for us turning out.

Oh and that 42 we had to beat? One player came very close and, but for a 5 on the treacherous 2nd, he might well have been in pole position for the trophy. Well played Dave Jones!

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Dave Jones, Seniors Vice-Captain, so close with 41 Points

Gwyn Lloyd Trophy

Foursomes, White tees

30 April 2026

The older you get, the stronger the wind gets; and it's always in your face

Jack Nicklaus

Well, the forecast said 20mph winds but anyone who played in the Gwyn Lloyd Trophy will tell you that it felt much harder than that! There are so many quotes about playing golf in the wind, one of them being the Scottish proverb 'nae wind, nae rain, nae golf'. The proverb is meant to imply that it's not a proper round without wind and rain but thankfully the wet stuff stayed away and us Seniors simply had to widen our stances and swing easier in order to return anything close to a reasonable score.

High scores were, of course, inevitable and I'm not sure if anyone escaped without an 8 on their card, if you did, please let me know and I'll alert the handicap committee. There were a few inevitable double figure holes which nobody likes to write on their cards, and I've often found it strange that when you get say a par or a birdie, the person marking your card only asks you how many you scored once. When you get a 7, 8, 9 or 10 it seems that some sort of instant amnesia sets in and they ask you at least 3 times when you didn't even want to say it out loud once!

Two holes worthy of mention (but without names) must be the 2nd and the 10th which proved to be card wreckers in both cases. Let's look at hole 2 first, there are pictures below to assist. Player A (let's call him Peter for sake of argument) played his tee shot to the grassy part of the bunker to the front right. Player B (let's call him Steve), played out of the bunker, hit the green but it rolled off the right-hand edge. Pete played the ball back onto the green but the Steve de-greened it with his putt. Pete played back onto the green but the ball rolled back down again. Steve repeated Pete's shot. Pete played the ball back onto the green again and they rounded it off with 3 putts. Don't ever let anyone tell you that this is not a cruel game.

On the 10th another drama was unfolding as Player A (a well-known Internet sensation) played his tee shot into the penalty area which forced his partner (a methodical Yorkshireman) to take a drop only to play his ball OOB. Up steps the viral YouTube star to have his turn at a drop which he then also played OOB. The Yorkshireman, now irked at the possibility of losing 3 balls for which he paid 50p in a charity shop, took another drop and this time threw caution to the wind and launched the ball to the centre left of the fairway for 7 shots. Lord Bashley, the aforementioned video star, then nudged the ball far enough forward to give his partner a clear shot at the green 120 yards away which he did with stunning accuracy to leave a two-foot putt which was despatched after a 5 minute assessment regarding the 4 breaks and 3 changes in elevation.

What a day! In the end there were many ties on a nett 73 score but the winners romped in with a creditable 72 given the conditions whilst the rest of the field rued, as usual, that missed putt or extra shot out of a bunker.

Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer

Result:

Winners of the Gwyn Lloyd Cup – Chris Hughes and Trevor Davies

Trevor Davies (l) and Chris Hughes (r) Winners of the Gwyn Lloyd Trophy

Ball tracking on the 2nd highlighting the perils of a front right pin

Ball tracking on the 10th highlighting the perils of flirting with OOB

Sages Trophy, Onions Cup and Stuffings Plaque

Stableford, Yellow tees

21 April 2026

You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake

Bob Hope

A fun morning's golf where 3 trophies were played for with the field divided into 3 groups:

The Sages – 70 -79 years old

The Onions – Under 70's

The Stuffings – The over 80's

Such was the drama that the Bard no less was moved to write a few words:

Upon a morn chilled but most fair, when gentle winds did kiss the treacherous greens in the forest, there assembled a fellowship of seasoned knights and one maiden, most grey of hair, some sans any such thatch, yet stout of swing, to contest a noble round of golf. John of Ireland, whose back creaketh louder than the tavern door, did strike first, his ball meandering as though pondering life's great questions.

Good Master Ian, ever bold, proclaimed his drive "a thunderbolt," yet lo, it found sanctuary in a bunker, as if drawn by fate itself. Much mirth arose, and gifts of colourful jellied sweetmeats were offered with bountiful abandon.

Prince Jon Shore, sharp of eye and modest of wit, did putt with such cunning that even the hole seemed surprised. "A witch!" cried one, though kindly meant, as his ball obeyed like a loyal terrier.

Between strokes, they spake more of aching knees than strategy, and time itself seemed to pause for their tales of former glory, each tale grander than the last.

Wily Rob the Young, he that can confound the deepest depth of sand and bog, did once more procure his choice silver wand to tempt his orb from the slimy grip of the firmament and despatch it with the haste of the hounds of doom towards a distant knoll.

In the end, no victor stood unmocked, nor loser uncheered. For though their swings be slower and their steps more measured, their spirits soared high as any youthful lark.

Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer

Results:

Congratulations to Jeff Hewett for his Nearest the Pin on the 11th

Sages Trophy Winner – Ian Coundon – now 2/3 of the way to the SOS (sage, onions and stuffings) grand slam. Just 9 years to wait!

Onions CupWinner – Jon Shore

Stuffings Plaque Winner – John Ireland

Jon Shore (Onions), Ian Coundon (Sages) and John Ireland (Stuffings) with their respective trophies

Seniors v Paultons GC (Away)

Matchplay

20 April 2026

Apologies for the lack of a match report and photos, it would appear the appeal of the 19th hole erased all memory of what happened in the preceding 4 hours!

The Seniors 2026 season unbeaten run continued with a 2-2 tie on a bright day with a chilly wind.

2026 Results to date:

Played 4, Won 3, Drawn 1, Lost 0

Seniors v Osborne GC (Home)

Matchplay, Yellow tees

16 April 2026

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything

William Shakespeare

The visiting team of 12 Seniors from Osborne GC looking sharp before the match

Quiz time – complete the following:

• J Arthur ****

• Barclays ****

• Sherman ****

• Blankety *****

Now think of a word that rhymes with your answers but never say it out loud on a golf course.

It's often said that the most terrifying shot in golf is your next one after a sha*k as they never seem to appear in isolation. It also happens to be the most destructive shot in the game. It happened today when one of the New Forest players having an absolute stonker of a round got to the 6th and suddenly, it started, right out of nowhere. As always, a couple more followed before normality was restored much to his and his partner's relief. In this case the player in question got off light but the incident provided a timely reminder from Graham, one of the visiting Osborne players, that standing forward of any player about to swing a club is a dangerous and, in his case, a potentially costly mistake as he had previously removed six of his friend's teeth with the not-to-be-mentioned-shot whilst playing at Perranporth. That one shot resulted in a dentist's bill of £20 grand! You know that insurance that you thought you wouldn't need…? Anyway, onto lighter matters…

The fickle April weather returned once again for the match bringing sunshine, rain, warmth and a cold wind in equal measure over a four-hour period.

Before the match the visitors posed for a team photo showing off their very smart shirts, jackets and gilets. This act alone was enough to convey a level of attention to detail that made the home team realise that they were up against a very organised outfit.

Four teams teed off from the 1st whilst the remaining two teams started on the 17th with the hope that there would be no gridlock as the regular Thursday Seniors get-together were playing an individual Strokeplay competition at the same time. Fortunately any anticipated hold-ups were avoided and play continued at the normal brisk yet unhurried pace that us Seniors enjoy.

As often happens, passing teams (usually on the wrong fairway) enquired as to how their respective matches were going with hand signals representing numbers and up and down arrows that would confuse anyone who has learned BSL. Some enquiries were met with other than hand gestures including broad smiles, grimaces, a finger sliding across the throat or two fingers held like a gun at the temple but as always in matchplay, it's never over while there are still holes left to play.

Returning to the car park to load up after the round, there were chats about a won hole here and there, a rare birdie on the 2nd and discussions about missed putts, unpredictable greens, and a player with an unsportsmanlike start of a birdie and four pars (well played Terry Gordon). Back in the clubhouse we sat down to a treat of chilli and rice with chips (a bonus) served up by Janet, Bridget and her team. A delicious apple crumble rounded it off very nicely.

In matchplay, the scoring often goes up and down like a yo-yo in a lift (some might say a bride's nightie) but in the end it's not the 300 yard drives but the putts that lip out that seem to be the difference. Both Captains were generous in their appreciation of their opponents' efforts and a special thanks has to be given to Osborne for giving up a whole day to share their excellent company and golfing talents with us.

Finally a well done to Wayne Niles for being on the right end of a 5&4 win twice in a week. Handicap Committee please note!

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

Match Result:

New Forest Seniors 6, Osborne 0

2026 Results to date:

Played 3, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 0

Terry Gordon's drive on the 15th left him with a drop as the only (sensible) option as the route to the green was through the tree. Fortunately his sterling work was done by then!

NFGC Seniors v Ryde (home)

Matchplay

14 April 2026

They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken
Ray Floyd

After the 5½ to ½ victory in the corresponding fixture last year, the goal was clear from the outset, to try and get the elusive 6-0 clean sweep. That target was taken away pretty quickly when we received the news that sadly, the Ryde team could only field 10 players instead of the usual 12. We were left wondering if the forecast of strong winds and rain might have deterred a few from risking the perilous crossing of the Solent or more realistically the fact that it's a long way to go and a long day for just a game of golf.

The news was broken to Roy Nelson and John Pickering that they no longer had playing partners but rather than go home and miss a delicious after match lasagne, they decided to stay and play with themselves…

All the matches had good pairings on paper but as Brian Clough pointed out many years ago 'we don't play on paper son, we play on grass'. In matchplay, it's never over til it's over and even at 4 down with 4 to play the side that's behind should never give up hope of securing half a point. That mindset was illustrated perfectly in one of the games where the Ryde side, starting on the 17th were 3 down then pulled it back to all-square only to go 2 down again after 10 holes. The turning point came on the 11th which they won with a nett birdie and they then repeated the feat on the 12th and 13th before relaxing with a half on the 14th . The glimmer of light in the tunnel which suddenly appeared for the home team very quickly manifested itself as the headlights of a runaway train bearing down on them as the visitors delivered the coup de grace with an eagle on the 15th followed by a ½ on the 16th which was good enough for the win. Well played John and Tony, a perfect example of how to play matchplay golf.

The weather wasn't kind to either team with a chill wind and drizzle forcing the players to take 2 extra clubs for approaches into head winds. It made the 9th interesting as the usual 9 iron or wedge 3rd shots became 8 and in some case 7 irons.

The after-match speeches by both Captains highlighted the good spirits in which all the games were played and everyone is already looking forward to the return match in Ryde on May 19th

As mentioned previously the lasagne was delicious and served as a generous portions with garlic bread and salad. The dessert of strawberry cheesecake and cream ensured that everyone left with full bellies as well as beaming smiles. Well done the kitchen staff, you do a great job!

Mike Stevenson

Media and Press Officer

Match result:

New Forest 3, Ryde 2

2026 Results to Date:

Played 2, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 0

NFGC Seniors v Ampfield (away)

Matchplay

9th April 2026

My favourite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt. The rest can never be mastered.

Lord Robertson

Today's Golfer magazine voted Ampfield GC the 4th Best 18 Hole Par 3 Course in the Country and it was easy to see why as the NFGC Seniors, resplendent in their brand new green shirts, enjoyed sunshine, birdsong and bluebells as they played their first match of the 2026 season.

Those who had played here before talked about how tricky the course could be, with minimal water but strategically placed trees and bunkers which, on some holes, seemed to offer the ball a destination as simply one or the other. The home team, with their experience, knew how to play each hole, either deliberately playing short of the greens or running in low shots using the contours.

It was fitting that the match was played on the first day of the 2026 Masters as the greens, like those in Augusta, were very quick and downhill putts were to be avoided at all costs as a 12 footer down the slope could easily turn into a ten footer back up to the hole. One player who got the feel of them pretty quickly was John Pickering who nailed half a dozen Dennis Wises (nasty little five footers) for either wins or halves.

Unlike the New Forest home matches, where the nearest the pin competition is reserved solely for the visitors, our hosts laid on a challenge for both the home and away teams on different greens. It's still not clear if anyone on the Ampfield side actually hit their green or was an outright winner but on the 16th, the New Forest hole, Mike Broom was for the second time in two days, Scheffler like with his iron play and clinched the prize.

The lunch of ham, egg and chips followed by a sponge dessert was a delicious precursor to the announcement of the results which Phil Kilburn delivered with due modesty. Captaining his first match, he was delighted to reveal the score of Ampfield 2, New Forest 4.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

This Season

Played 1 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 0

The NFGC Seniors team after their 4-2 win at Ampfield GC

Ladies and Seniors Competition

Mixed Foursomes, Yellow tees

8th April 2026

Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air

Anonymous

The warm sun shone beautifully over the New Forest as the annual Ladies and Seniors match teed off. By the ladies choice it was a mixed foursomes event where experience meets elegance, and where handicaps were regarded with the same level of scepticism as US military intelligence.

Proceedings began with the traditional confusion over pairings, scorecards, and whether anyone had brought enough tees. After a solid ten minutes of 'Are we off the reds or the yellows?' the first group finally got underway led by the respective Captains.

The opening holes were a masterclass in strategic golf, if by 'strategic' you mean carefully choosing which bush or tree to correct the intended path of the ball. The skill level ranged from impressively straight to impressively creative, with one particularly memorable hole taking in two fairways, two bunkers, and what we believe was a brief visit to another postcode.

The ladies, displaying both skill and patience, kept things moving nicely, occasionally pausing only to remind their partners that the aim was to play more golf and tell less stories. Meanwhile, some of the seniors showcased their wealth of 'experience', particularly in the art of offering advice immediately after every shot.

Highlights on the front nine included:

• A 40-foot putt that lipped out so dramatically that the player immediately booked 6 counselling sessions

• A bunker shot that passed the Artemis II space craft before landing somewhere near the intended green

• A debate as to whether it's acceptable or not to play 3 lay-up shots before attempting to go for the green on a par 3 hole.

Spirits were high, scores were for the most part accurate, and at least one player claimed to be 'just getting warmed up,' despite being visibly warmed up since 1977.

The back nine saw a shift in momentum, or possibly just a shift in energy levels. Drives became shorter but wiser, putts became more accurate, and the phrase 'that's exactly where I wanted it' was heard with increasing frequency.

Notable moments included:

• A miraculous chip-in that was immediately followed by three putts on the next hole

• A lost ball that four players spent ten minutes searching for, only for it to be in someone's pocket

• A stunning par achieved entirely by accident but celebrated like a major championship win

As the match drew to a close, the simple act of adding a few numbers and subtracting a handicap proved as complex to some as explaining the rules of cricket to an American in a MAGA hat. However, it was universally agreed that what we all enjoyed was friendship, teamwork and of course laughter.

In the end, handshakes were exchanged, stories were exaggerated, and plans were already being made for the rematch where everyone is confident they'll play much better, assuming they remember how.

All in all it was a glorious day of golf, where the swings were varied, the jokes plentiful, and where golf, as always was the winner!

Mike Stevenson, Seniors Media and Press Officer

Results:

Nearest the Pin on the 11th – Mike Broom

1st Jill Trant & Chris Bennett Nett 69 Team H'cap 29

2nd Nicola Dowse & Chris Angell Nett 71 Team H'cap 20

3rd Sue Fraser & Phil Kilburn Nett 75 Team H'cap 25

The Fashion Police are on the lookout for the person 2nd from the left. If seen please report immediately

Bill Murray Trophy

Par/Bogey – Yellow Tees

7th April 2026

The first trophy of the Seniors Season

Nearest the Pin on the 2nd – Ross Matthews

Division 1

1st Chris Bennett +2

2nd Mike Broom +1 (Back 9 countback)

3rd Roy Nelson +1

Division 2

1st Charlie VonLandau +3 – Bill Murray Trophy Winner

2nd Gill Wright 0

3rd Brian Roberts -1

Charlie VonLandau with the Bill Murray Trophy

April Monthly Medal

Strokeplay, White Tees

2nd April 2026

Well, that was fun! One minute we were playing off the blue tees, from mats on a shortened winter course and then the next we were 496 yards longer off the whites onto recently tined sandy greens. What happened to the foreplay? A couple of rounds off the yellows would have been nice to ease us back into things gently but as the general murmur conceded, 'it's the same for everyone'.

A tough morning's golf was borne out by examining the returned scores which showed that only one of the participating 42 players broke nett par. Many congratulations go to Alan Milburn for his amazing feat. For the mere mortals, the gross scores ranged from a 75 from 'Steady' Steve Duckett to a 133 for a player who it would be unfair to name as he just endured one of those days which we all have from time to time.

Anyone who has ever played this noble game will have stood on a fairway at least once in his or her life and wondered what they were doing there. It's those moments when you wish that someone would take your clubs off you and tell you to go home and put your feet up. There is an unattributed quote made years ago when someone sought guidance from one of his playing partners after a particularly poor round where the advice given was 'take two weeks off and then quit for good'. Maybe dark humour but I wonder how many of us have considered indoor bowls as a less frustrating option? Of course, the feeling doesn't last long, one par or two consecutive good shots is all that's needed to sweep away the doubts that we have of our own abilities and once more we convince ourselves that the next trophy can't be that far away.

Before we get onto the scores, Chris Bennett, our erstwhile Competition Secretary, made a good point before we set out to play. As Seniors we are used to confusion in our everyday lives and we have all played the games 'what am I doing upstairs' or 'did I lock the front door'. When we play golf, there is so much more to learn at a time in our lives when we're so much better at forgetting things. So it was a timely reminder when Chris pointed out that in Strokeplay events, every hole must be played to completion (holed out) no matter how much it hurts. Stableford is a different format (some say kinder), in that you can pick your ball up as soon as you get to the point where you won't get any points. In both instances, the maximum score you will be given for handicap purposes is two over your nett par for that hole. The other point to remember is that if you don't complete a hole in a Strokeplay competition you will automatically be disqualified from the comp but in a Stableford competition you'll just be given that two over nett par and still be in the running for the prizes.

Watch this space in a few days for clarification on submitting cards for handicap purposes.

Mike Stevenson, Media and Press Officer

And so to the scores:

Nearest the pin on the 13th – Chris Angell

Division 1

1st Andy Godwin Nett 70 ( nett 22 on back 6 countback)

2nd Terry Gordon Nett 70 (nett 25 on back 6 countback)

3rd Steve Duckett Nett 71

4th Ian Coundon Nett 72

Division 2

1st Alan Milburn Nett 64

2nd Charlie Hughes Nett 71

3rd Brian Roberts Nett 75 (nett 22 on back 6 countback)

4th Terry Jones Nett 75 (nett 23 on back 6 countback)

Alan Milburn and Andy Godwin display their April Monthly Medals with casual elegance

March Monthly Medal

Strokeplay – Blue tees

19 March 2026

Oh, what a beautiful mornin'! Oh, what a beautiful day!

Oscar Hammerstein II

And so it was on a beautiful sunny, if somewhat chilly March morning that 41 of us coffin-dodgers strode into a light north-easterly breeze to do battle once again over not 13, but 18 holes for the first time in months. The season has now properly started with our first official competitive outing of the year.

As always, various interpretations of the phrase 'golfing attire' were on display. It looks like a £1 fine is never going to be enough to deter cargo pants but the sight of some of our members in shorts makes you wonder if the image will be burned onto your retina forever (or maybe eased by something fizzy in the clubhouse afterwards). Of course the real answer is that whatever we saw, heard or did today will be forgotten by tomorrow anyway, if you remember what happened yesterday you should question what you're doing playing with the Seniors! One wag was heard to remark 'it's difficult to tell where your legs end and your white socks start'. Oh how we laughed…

It also seems that the standard of golf varied dramatically with a 20 shot difference between 1st and last place in Division 1 and a 17 shot difference between top and bottom in Division 2. Is it, I wonder, the difference between 13 and 18 holes, the difficulty of judging shot distances over wet approaches or simply that some swings more than others need a drop of 3 in 1 oil? Of course it could simply be that some of our energy systems could do with a couple of shots of performance boosting Redex but if that's the case buy it now while you can still afford it…

It's a feature of Senior's golf that there's always an incident that stands out whenever we set out on our twice-weekly adventures and one that caught the eye today saw euphoria turned on it's head and travel through every stage on the grief curve in the blink of an eye. Alan Milburn had about 130 yards to go to a back right pin on the 9th. He hit the most beautiful shot which finished at almost a gimme distance from the pin and the group waiting to play on the 10th tee admired it and nodded approvingly. In a flash, Mike Ahearn appeared having played his drive to the 15th a fair way right, in fact so far right it was next to the 9th fairway. Poor Alan had accidentally played Mike's ball and the superb shot of just a few seconds ago turned into two penalty strokes. A wild stormy sea seems cruel and unforgiving, sometimes, golf, this game that we love so much feels just the same way.

In closing, congratulations must go to Seniors Captain, Phil Kilburn, on winning his 5th monthly medal. Although so far they've all been in Division 2, Phil's target is to win one in Division 1 before too long.

Mike Stevenson (Media and Press Officer)

Seniors Captain with the Division 2 March Monthly Medal

Results:

Nearest the pin in 2 on 14 – Steve Duckett

Division 1

1st Richard Gay nett 70

2nd Mike Ahearn nett 71

3rd Dave Scott nett 72

4th Steve Duckett nett 73

Division 2

1st Phil Kilburn nett 73

2nd Terry Jones nett 75

3rd Alan Clifford nett 77

4th Wayne Niles nett 79

The Boys (and Gill) Are Back In Town

Roll up Stableford, Blue Tees

5th March 2026

Won't be long 'til summer comes
Now that the boys are here again

Philip Parris Lynott

A very welcome break in the persistent rain enabled the NF Seniors to shake off the cabin fever and get a bit of fresh air. It was an excellent turn out with 37 players attending and returning scores helped by the fact that for the moment we can afford the petrol to get to the course…

Before we set out, Phil Kilburn, Seniors Captain held a minute's silence for Rocky Fearis who passed in February and informed us of the serious ill health of another member, John Holland. We hope for a recovery and look forward to welcoming him back following treatment.

The course was a long way from perfect but that didn't deter us die-hards who were just happy to see old mates again and talk about how rusty our swings were going to be after a four-week enforced lay-off.

We played a modified 13 holes with a temporary green on the 17th and with the 18th being considerably shortened by a forward tee which for some strange reason brought the greenkeeper's shed into play for two players but yielded an eagle 2 for Mike Ahearn.

In the end only Phil Kilburn and Jeff Hewett shot scores better than par which in itself was remarkable given the conditions.

After the competition the usual clubhouse banter ensued, the near misses, the what ifs, the bad luck, the aches and pains and so on. One important thing that we all had to consider was the damage that poor weather has done to Phil's charity, The Dementia Care Hub. As we weren't playing for weeks on end, no funds were going into the charity pot so Phil had to be inventive in finding ways to extract the maximum amount of cash with the deviousness of Fagin himself. He did a good job and if anyone didn't put at least a quid into the pot then find yourself a mirror and then take a good look and then have a word with yourself

Mike Stevenson

And so to the scores:

Nearest the pin on the 2nd Steve Duckett (quelle surprise)

Division 1

1st Andy Homes 26 points

2nd Steve Duckett 26 points

3rd Mike Ahearn 25 points

4th Robert Swain 25 points

Division 2

1st Phil Kilburn 29 points

2nd Jeff Hewett 28 points

3rd Terry Jones 25 points

4th Wayne Niles 23 points

Photo: Andy Homes

Spring is just around the corner!..

Preview of 2026

At the time of writing, a 50 mph wind is howling outside, the rain is lashing down, the course is closed and today's Christmas Strokeplay competition was cancelled before any of us had even woken up this morning. Christmas Day is just a week away and we're probably all looking forward to a year's supply of new pants, socks (probably with a golfing logo or motto) and maybe even a few balls (normally Pinnacle, Maxfli or Commando).

BUT…..the shortest day, December 21st, is just 3 days away and from then we gain a few more minutes of daylight each day until suddenly it's Spring again and our rusty golf swings start to ease up as dappled sunlight begins to warm our chilled old bones as if each joint had been given a liberal squirt of WD40.

2025 will take some beating, we had a great summer, some excellent roll-up competitions (review here) and an excellent win/loss ratio in our club matches. However, the new season lies ahead of us, we have a new Captain, Phil Kilburn, who has served his apprenticeship under the tutelage of John Pickering, we've had new members join us who bring their experience (and stories), if we believe the adverts the balls are flying further and a few members have even had lessons. What could possibly go wrong?

In short, our anticipation bubbles like a freshly poured Cruzcampo. For those who decided to sit out the winter, clubs will emerge from hibernation to be dusted and maybe even washed, grooves will be cleaned and the grips checked to see if they'll last for a few more years. Our pony-trimmed fairways beckon, ready to witness not only glory and humility but of course our hooks and slices. Carts will rattle, balls will splash and laughter will echo again as everyone swears that this year consistency will finally arrive.

So, what do we have to look forward to? Well, a cursory glance shows us that the calendar is bursting with:

• 23 Singles Stablefords

• 20 Club Matches

• 19 Individual Strokeplays

• 13 Texas Scrambles

• 8 Team Stablefords

• 8 Monthly Medals

• 3 team Strokeplays

• 4 Medfords and

• 2 Tours

Trophies will be awarded to grudging applause, commiserations will be mentioned without a shred of sympathy, bar cards will be topped up and depleted and raffles will be won by the same people week after week. We will laugh heartily, we will lick the wounds that our egos will undoubtedly endure and we'll keep dreaming as the days get warmer. Happy New Year everyone!

Mike Stevenson – Media and Press Officer

History of Trophies