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Created: 17 April 2026

Denham Golf Club was again the venue for the annual match with our friends in the Aero Golfing Society. The RAF team were looking to regain the Keith Davies Cup, following the Aero's success in each of the last 3 years at Denham, and to retain the Piercey John Quaich which we won last year.

Following the usual coffee/tea and bacon rolls, the teams set out from the first tee for the morning fourball betterball matches. The weather was cool but dry and the course in excellent condition and, of course, the banter started before a ball was struck. After completing their matches, the teams enjoyed lunch in the dining room - as excellent as always - before setting out from the tenth tee for the nine hole afternoon Greensomes.

Aero Captain Stu Butler and RAFGS Match Manager Mark Foreman collated the scores after the morning and afternoon rounds and the teams gathered in the bar at the end of the day for the (short) speeches and announcement of the results. The RAF were successful in both morning and afternoon events, with a resounding 5-1 win in the competition for the Keith Davies Cup and a narrow 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 win in the Greensomes. Stu graciously presented both trophies to Mark and we look forward to next year's match, which will be at Denham on 13 April 27.

RAFGS team: Mark Foreman (Match Manager), Peter Bedford, Kevin Burston, Simon Boyce, Nigel Dowdall, Sean Doherty, Neil Gold, Alistair Maxwell, Mark Morton, Neil Roberts, Willie Kirkpatrick, and Graham Pearson. 

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Created: 25 May 2026

The RAFGS team for this year's 'home' match against Sonning met at Woodhall Spa Golf Club on 20 May, conscious of the fact that we had not won the match since 2019. However, Match Manager Tim Evans was in confident mood, following last year's success in winning the Clyne Trophy at Sonning for the first time since 2012.

Later that evening, at the dinner in our usual venue of the splendid and historic Petwood Hotel - formerly the home of 617 "Dambuster' Squadron and full of RAF memorabilia - Tim's confidence seemed well-placed as he announced that the RAF lead 5-1 after the first round on the Bracken course.

Things looked even better the next morning, as Tim and partner Nigel Dowdall won the first match on the Hotchkin course against the Sonning Captain and Vice-Captain, Claire Randell and Andy Coyles, to increase the overall lead to 6-1 - just half a point required to secure the win. However, a determined Sonning team fought back strongly to win the next four matches, leaving the outcome to be decided by the final match. Both teams watched nervously as the final group putted out on the 18th green, but the outcome was a halved match and the win for RAFGS by 6 1/2 points to 5 1/2, meaning that the RAF win the Malcolm Middlemist Trophy for the first time since it was presented in 2024.

RAFGS team: Tim Evans (Match Manager), David Walton, Garry Ridsdale, Roger Carr, Nigel Dowdall, John Pearce, Mark Morton, Neil Gold, Ollie Whyatt, Peter Bedford, Kevin Huish, Colin Lockwood.

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Created: 18 May 2026

This year's 23 participants on our Annual Tour to Morayshire faced very different weather conditions to last year, when we played in short sleeves and shorts and were able to sit out on the balcony at Moray Golf Club until sunset. Although it was largely dry, with the occasional short, sharp shower or hailstorm (notably at Moray and Hopeman), the weather was decidedly chilly with a cold easterly wind for most of the week.

Nairn Dunbar were unable to offer us a date during the competition part of the week, as they were hosting a major Regional event, but we were able to play the warm-up round there on the Monday. Hopeman was slotted into the week for a competition day for the first time, with the usual courses at Moray, Elgin and Forres providing the other venues. Scoring was certainly affected by the windy conditions that prevailed for most of the week, but consistency was the key to success and the final day's start sheet at Forres, which was played as always in reverse order, featured Si Ackland (in his first Tour), Ollie Whyatt and Farrukh Bajwa - all several points ahead of the next group. In a close finish, Si emerged as the winner of the Scottish Cup, one point ahead of Ollie, with Ian Robinson taking the Veteran's Quaich, Farrukh winning the Guest Tankard for the second year, and a delighted Ray Bull the very popular and worthy choice as recipient of the Harry Griffiths trophy.

Socially, we were able to enjoy the various restaurants in Lossiemouth and the surrounding area, with Moray Golf Club again being happy to host us for the evening 'get together', as well as providing the venue for another successful end of Tour dinner and prize-giving.

Next year will see Nairn Dunbar back on the competition roster, with Hopeman providing the venue for warm-up round.

Full results:

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Created: 06 May 2026

A number of members have already taken advantage of the latest tranche of RAFGS events to open for registration. The events now available are: matches against Rye, Huntercombe and Sonning (at Sonning), plus the Midland Meeting at Coxmoor, which this year will be a Pairs betterball event.

We also still have plenty of spaces available for the Summer Meeting at Lincoln Golf Club (Torksey) on 10 July and the Championship Meeting at Moor Park Golf Club on 24 July.

For the matches, we are still looking for one player for the team to play against Sonning at Woodhall Spa - a great opportunity to play two great courses (the Hotchkin being regularly rated as the best inland courses in England) and to enjoy a stay and dinner at the Petwood Hotel, famous as the headquarters of the Dambuster Squadron. There are, unusually, also several spaces available for the match at Brockenhurst Manor.

Finally, for those members who are also members of the RAFGA, have a look at the Seletar trophy meeting, to be held at Thonock Park Golf Club on 24 August. The event is run, and subsidised, by the RAFGA and is a 36-hole individual Stableford. Prizes include the magnificent Seletar Trophy which comes with a £50 voucher sponsored by RAFGS and currently held by RAFGS member Graham Pearson.