The RAFGS fielded a well balanced team, and hopes were high, but once again Moor Park held sway and the only point we scored was thanks to Mick Ford and Ian Robinson. Moor Park on their own course are hard to beat.

The recent rains had brought back some colour to the fairways and the greens were fast and true but tantalising. 5-1 does not look good, but the match was played in good spirits and the RAFGS were made very welcome.

An excellent supper added to softening the blow of coming second.

RAFGS Team: Mike Peaker (Non-playing Match Manager). Tim Bishop, Roger Carr, Nigel Dowdall, Mick Ford, Kevin Huish, Paul Hughesdon, Rick Lipscomb, Mark Morton, Rod Powell, Ian Robinson, Mick Roche, Ollie Whyatt.

On a wet Friday morning 24 players congregated in the Huntercombe clubhouse contemplating whether the rain would make the course unplayable. No sooner had discussions began the skies cleared, the rain stopped and the match - for the Stevenson Cup - was on.

In perfect conditions the match was halved 3-3.  Lunch, never a disappointment at Huntercombe, was satisfying, combined with good conversation.  In the afternoon a good number of society members took the opportunity to take in another round.  Overall, a great day spent in the company of our friends at Huntercombe.

RAFGS team: Jerry Davies (Match Manager), Nigel Dowdall, Ollie Whyatt, Stu Butler, Sean Doherty, Adam Blake, Dennis Virgo, Kevin Huish, Rod Powell, Peter Bedford, Rick Lipscomb, Stewy Fryatt.

Huntercombe team: Mark Morton (Match Manager), Ron Elder, Jonathan Keen, Andy Peck, Dickie Duckett, David Mountain, Graham Spensley, Richard Putney, Bill Maish, Stuart Burgess, David MacDonald, Justin Snoxall.

Following the first playing of this, the only team competition in our calendar, as part of our Centenary celebrations in 2021, the event has become firmly established in the schedule. Coxmoor Golf Club is a great venue, offering a first class golf course on heathland type turf, excellent practice facilities and a well-designed modern clubhouse.

This year there were 36 entries for the event, giving us nine teams of four players, with no need for the complications of adjusting for teams of three. Despite the long dry summer, the course was generally in very good condition, with greens that were true if slightly slower than normal. The blustery wind and fast-running fairways made shot / club selection challenging, but despite this there were some excellent scores.

The meeting is one of only two events where we have Nearest the Pin prizes on the Par 3s (the other being the Winter Meeting at Sandy Lodge). Ian Robinson clearly had his club selection dialled in, winning Nearest the Pin on both the 2nd and 10th holes, with Dave Holmes closest on the 7th and Kevin Page on the 17th.

The team prize was closely contested. In 3rd place, with 80 points, was the team of Garry Ridsdale (playing off a handicap of +3!), Steve and Sheila Grant, and David Walton. Second, with 83 points, was the team of Mike Bown, Paul and Michaela Daniels, and 'Mac' McKenzie. Two point better, on 85 points, the team of David Taylor, Jenny Smale, Alastair `Maxwell and Rick Lipscomb were the clear winners and each received one of the four trophies awarded for this event - the Weir, Sutherland, Sassoon and Egerton Johnson cups.

The full results of the meeting are available on this link.

The annual match Rye Golf Club never disappoints and, on a glorious sunny Sunday morning,  a team of 12 RAFGS golfers assembled in the clubhouse. In recent years the club have struggled to put out a full team and therefore we were delighted to see a full compliment of Rye golfers, in both the morning and afternoon.

After tea/coffee and, for those who wanted one, bacon rolls, we set off for the first round of foursomes matches over the challenging and stunning links of the Old Course at Rye. The morning rounds went our way with an exceptional result of 5 1/2 - 1/2, with a 7 and 5 win by Ian Robinson and Jerry Davies’  being particularly worthy of mention.

After a sumptuous lunch, with plenty of wine (courtesy of the RAFGS players) and interesting conversation, the afternoon foursomes commenced with the Rye members intent on turning round an almost unassailable lead. Although the afternoon was more even, an afternoon score of 4 - 2 to the RAFGS resulted in an excellent 9 1/2 - 2 1/2 victory.  Well done everyone.

Comments from our team included: “Fantastic venue and a marvellous lunch to boot. Too good a venue to miss” “Rye was exquisite and our hosts great company”. The match at Rye is one of the jewels in our calendar and, for those who would have to travel a long distance and need an overnight stay, there is excellent Dormy House accommodation at the club or a variety of accommodation options in the lovely town of Rye, If you haven't played at Rye before, I suggest that you put the date in your diary and get your name on the entry list early next year.

RAFGS team: Kevin Burston (Match Organiser), Ian Robertson, Jerry Davies, Neil Roberts, Roger Carr, Alastair Maxwell, Si Stephens, Ollie Whyatt, Graham Pearson, Nigel Dowdall, Mark Hudson, Charlie Barclay-Hudson

Rye team: Andrew Close (Match Organiser), James Bell, Campbell Warnok, Richard Penley-Martin, David Bolton, Richard Chalmers, Craig Disher, Tim Flynn, Tim Roberts, Gavin Morrison, Richard Stokes, Andrew Littlestone