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Adrian Haxby's Match Report:

I'm delighted to report that we opened our account in the 2026 season with a resounding win vs St John's Cambridge. On a chilly, breezy day at Huntercombe The Hall romped home, turning the tables after a number of years in deficit, with our top 7 golfers (the "Magnificent Seven") compiling a total of 255 points against St John's (how does one write the possessive of St John's? St John's's?) 232, an average score of 36.4 points. Of particular note were Jerry Gray, Tony Moore, David West and Peter Smith on 37, and David Jones with a superb 39 points!

Your fearless leader trailed in with a modest 27 points, having left his driver at home in error and inter alia airmailing his "approach" to the 18th out of bounds onto the putting green. No excuses, just how it was.

We were most graciously hosted by the opposition, led by big hitting Nigel Snaith, who took their defeat manfully. Of particular note on the hospitality front was the excellent Ruddles Best Bitter, which, having  travelled all the way from Rutland, bolted down the throats of the assembled thirsty Hallmen faster than a fox pursued by the Cottesmore hunt.

All bodes well for the season with the team having clearly wintered well. The Spring Meeting is perfectly teed up to be a highly competitive event.

Adrian Haxby's Report:

Sixteen golfers plus Collers gathered at noon on 16th April, in the splendidly refurbished Berkshire clubhouse for beer and sandwiches. A short extraordinary meeting of the Society was held and Chris Atkinson was unanimously elected Life President. A suitable presentation was made to mark the occasion and our gratitude to him. Collers kindly agreed to act as starter, a role he adopted with great charisma, and play began on the notoriously difficult first of the Blue Course at 13.20 prompt. We enjoyed a bright and breezy afternoon with the course in good, dry condition.
 
Full statistics are attached but here are some of the highlights:

• Of a total of 288 holes played we recorded 6 birdies (Beardmore 2, Durrans 2 (back to back!), Gray 1 and West 1) , 67 pars, 110 bogeys and 105 best described as “other”.

• Our best hole was the par 3 13th, with 1 birdie and 7 pars (half the field therefore scoring par or better), perhaps motivated by the proximity of alcoholic relief at the halfway hut and the nearest the pin prize on offer.

• 3 bogeys and 12 best described as “other”. Your Secretary sank a wonderful 60 footer for the lone par. Enough said.Our worst hole was the long par 4 16th, with no birdies, 1 par,

David McCammon played magnificently, out in 42 gross (4th equal), back in 49 to record a score of 91 in total, four better than his handicap, yielding 39 points. Comfortably the best performance of the day. He wins the (absent) Atkinson Trophy subsequently tracked down in deepest Sussex care of Richard Grainger to be delivered in due course. Messrs Hockey and Lever in joint second recorded a very creditable 36 points each with Messrs Jones and Penwarden hot on their heels with 35 points in joint fourth. Nearest the pin was won by David West and the longest drive, in somewhat controversial circumstances, by your Secretary, albeit with a very fine shot apparently out of sight of the rest of the field. The team prize went to Group 4 comprising Messrs McCammon, Jones, Smith and Advani with a massive 94 points. Our congratulations go to all our winners.

Adrian Haxby's Report:

We fielded two pairs: your fearless leader with David McCammon and late entrant Chris Hockey (something to do with his brother in law and whose father he tells me was a club professional) with the redoutable star of our combined efforts, David Jones. It was a blustery day up in Berkhamsted, certainly not the weather for "golf as nature intended". Having now played the course, it's still not clear to me what that means, but there was little risk of intentional exposure given the weather on the day.

Having taken sandwiches and ale in the modern but comfortable clubhouse (also very good cappuccinos) we set out. Haxby and McCammon were paired with Colin Dunkley, the impressively detail focussed Secretary of the Fitzbilly gang and his partner Steve, a retired HR professional with a habit of coming in with a shot whenever his partner faltered. Net result we bought the drinks and submitted a paltry 24 points on our card, which was probably responsible on its own for the overall outcome (see below). Meanwhile Hockey & Jones notched up an impressive 36 points, with the latter slotting a birdie on the last, a tricky hole with a long carry over a road, which he professed to hate in the bar before we teed off.

By the way, in case he hasn't told you, Chris Hockey also got a birdie on the 11th at The Berkshire, which I failed to include in my match report. There you are Chris. I apologise, which as in politics, I assume means all is forgotten and I can remain in office or come back once the dust has settled to do yet further damage...

Meanwhile, back at Berkhamsted, we were served shank of lamb for dinner, which I took rather personally given my lamentable showing on the course.The overall result was a win for the Tabs by something like 37 to 34, with our combined average of 30 probably doing a lot of the damage to the Oxonian tally. Anyway, everyone was far too polite to point that out and the Fitzbilly team left rubbing their hands at the thought of lining up another pasting for us at Stowe on July 16th, of which more anon.
 

A fantastic day! 

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Apologies for this brief write-up. As our Hon Sec is peddling frantically trying to escape Count Dracula I thought it best not to disturb him!

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As you can imagine a fantastic team was assembled.

 

The first key event was the after round drinks, for which we thank David "Dash" Ashworth!

Next was the excellent roast beef lunch, and wine you kindly provided, hic!

 

The two teams were:

Chris H, Suresh, Andy and Col Bogey - 76 points (Col Bogey was our star performer)

Chris A, John, Clive, Peter - 82 points

 

The prize winners were as follows:

1st Prize, the star of the Fitzbilly Oxbridge match retained his form with 36 points - winner of the Richmond Summer trophy - Peter Jones

2nd Prize, our Life President with 34 points Chris Atkinson

Nearest the pin (aka only one on the green) Clive Penwarden

Longest drive, our big hitting Life President (again!) Chris Atkinson

A resounding win!

 

Our Life President has kindly supplied the following match report from the recent encounter with Fitzbilly at Stowe: a second resounding win over the Tabs this season. Well done men!

 

I’m pleased to report a rather convincing victory over Fitzbilly! Results were :

 

Chris Atkinson and Nigel Banks                won 2up

Jerry Gray and William Hollington           lost 4 & 2

Paul Calland & John Watson (guests)      won 2 & 1

Clive Penwarden & Tony Moore               won 3 & 2

Peter Jones & Simon Staite                    won 4 & 2

Anthony Shillington (guest)                    won 5 & 4*

 

Thus, The Hall won 5 matches to 1. "Hurrah!" (My addition - ajh).

 

*AS was to have played with Ken Hinkley-Smith who backed out at the last minute. So, AS played against one opponent on the front 9 holes and the other on the back 9. He was 3 up at the turn and eventually won on 13th.

 

Everyone, including Simon Staite, appeared on time at the Stowe G.C. where coffee and bacon rolls were appreciated. It was a lovely sunny day with a refreshing breeze, and the course was in very good shape. The greens were green, as were the tees but the fairways, like everywhere else, were parched brown – preferred lies were therefore permitted.

 

After a post-match beer, we found our way to the main mansion to enjoy a splendid buffet in the ornate surroundings of the State Music Room. The prizes to the winning pairs then took place and the presentation of the One-Fitz-Hall trophy which was gracefully received on behalf of the Hall team by yours truly. The last guests departed at around 5.30.

McCammon strikes again!

 

The AGM took place at Studley Wood on 21st August. 15 golfers eventually pegged it up, including late sign up Mike Simmie and surprise (to me at least) last minute appearance Nigel Banks. The weather was good, the fairways like granite but the greens nevertheless in great condition and putting well. 

 

David McCammon romped home the winner with 40 points, claiming it was only the second time this year he`d beaten his handicap. The previous time being also at our expense at The Berkshire Spring Meeting. There were rumblings about a possible meeting of the handicap committee but it transpired that we don`t have one. Well played David, in truth a popular winner. He takes home the Jigger with our blessing. Mrs McC will be delighted. Doubtless it will gather dust in his garage for the next year...

 

Storming up behind David with 39 points came Andy Beardmore, who putted like God all day, with Messrs West and Haxby tied in third on 35 points each. David nipped it on countback. Nearest the pin was Andy Beardmore and the longest drive went deservedly to our dinner host and Honorary Fellow Jeremy Charles. Jeremy manfully ground his way round the course with a recently re-constructed ankle and then produced a magnificent strike to overhaul Simon Staite on the 18th fairway. The non-existent team prize went to the final group comprising Messrs Beardmore, Harley, Charles and Haxby with a collective 2 best ball score of 93 points. Congratulations to all our winners.

 

Our collective eclectic score was 71, two under par with birdies on 4 (Beardmore), 10 (Beardmore and Harley) and 11 (Beardmore again and Hockey). To our collective shame we only managed a bogey on 12 (a very odd hole to be fair) but our thanks go to Messrs Banks, Smith, Hockey, Simmie and Harley for that.

 

Following a slap up lunch of beer and sandwiches prizes were presented.  The AGM was duly held with all officers unanimously re-appointed and we then retired via the Headington Park & Ride to the Hall. Having assembled in the buttery we were treated somewhat unexpectedly to pre-dinner drinks in the front quad before moving up to the Old Library for dinner. This latter treat was thanks to our aforementioned Honorary Fellow, whose mere presence enabled us to enjoy that wonderful setting. Having dined royally on octopus and lamb cutlets we were treated to lashings of port thanks to a generous intervention by Chris Hockey. The banter and nostalgia flowed as the port repeatedly lapped the table. A cleansing ale was then taken back in the Buttery before the tired little teddy bears climbed wearily up the stairs of Besse block to bed.

Coming Soon...​

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Coming Soon... 

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