Richard Owen
Richard Owen
Platinum Jubilee Trophy
Very pleasant weather for Sunday golf, the heat wave having subsided and a stiff, warm breeze. Greens in excellent condition.
Winner of the Platinum Jubilee Trophy was Nick Rogers, with a superb gross 79, net 65 (to par of 71), a very steady round with 2 birdies and 8 pars. Hilary Casey was in second place, narrowly beaten by countback, carding 96 gross and 65 net (to par of 74), with a birdie on 10. Congratutions to them.
In the following places, Mike Shabani was 3rd with a 65 net, Bella Mahale was 4th with a 67 net, Niamh Grace was 5th with a 68 net, and of the group of players on 69 net, Duncan Taylor claimed 6th on countback.
This was the second round of the Anniversary Cup and two ladies top the rankings, Lia Donath on 135 from Niamh Grace on 136, beating Mark Bean in 3rd place on countback (report attached).
Midsummer Trophy
It was reported to be the hotest day of the year so far and the Prince’s course was subject to a reduction to only 14 holes, with holes 10 t0 13 inclusive not played due to a sewage spillage caused by very heavy, thundery overnight rain.
However, Angus Robertson managed to golf his way around to score 28 points with 19 out and 9 in. Hot on his heels were Bill Norman and Joe Goncalves who each scored 27 points but Bill gained second place on countback. Jonno McLean followed in 4th place with his 26 points.
Shaw Cup (Men’s Top Dog 3 of 7)
A blisteringly hot day with very little breeze made for tiring conditions, however the Prince’s course was in good condition and the scores were good overall.
This year’s winner of the Shaw Cup is Brian McMahon with a solid 39 points (18 out and 21 back) with a birdie on the 14th. Brian’s win was on countback, from both Allan Boyd (last 3 holes) and Richard Back (last 9 holes). Allan amassed his 39 points notwithstanding 2 blobs on the front 9, and Richard Back’s excellent gross 69 included 4 birdies. Best women were Bella 4th on 38 points (no sweep entry) and Deborah 5th on 37 points (did enter the sweep !).
The status of this year’s men’s Senior and Junior Top Dog, after 3 rounds, is shown below. In the Senior Division, Allan Boyd (20 points) leads from Richard Back (18 points); in the Junior Division, Robin Thomas (18 points) leads from Mike Shabani (16 points) – but it’s still early days in this competition.
Rickmansworth – Home Leg
We played the home leg of our annual match against Rickmansworth on Saturday 20 June on the Duke’s course. This encounter has been a feature of the club’s fixture list for some sixty years or so.
The stand out performance of the day was from Gerard Ouattara and Mel Dunn with their convincing 6&5 win (and an impressive 51 stableford points in our internal better ball competition). Nick Rogers and Russell Stewart (8&6), Alan Treacy and Craig Johnstone (3&1), and Peter Harrison and Richard Back (7&6) were our other victorious pairings. Julian James/Richard Owen and Joe Goncalves/Paul Green couldn’t quite help us repeat the whitewashes we sometimes manage at home. It is always hard for the away team in these matches, so a 4-2 victory for RPGC leaves us a bit of work to do in the away leg in September.
NAPGC Ballantyne Round 3
The Richmond Park B team played their 3rd round match against Portsmouth on a very windy and occasionally wet day on the Duke’s course. All the games were close against determined opponents, however Richmond Park won 2:1 and move to the Area Finals next.
Our first pair of Richard Back & Peter Harrison were looking good at 2up with 3 holes to play but Portsmouth birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th to win 1up. Our second pair of captain Richard Owen & Angus Robertson went 1 down on the first and couldn’t get back to evens until the 8th hole, courtesy of a Par by Angus. Richard then won the 10th, 11th and 12th, and Angus won the 13th, so 4 up with 5 to play. Richard then halved the 14th and 15th holes to give the team a 4&3 win. Our final pair of Iker Lanzagorta & Aiden Hurley also went 1 down on the first and stayed 1 or 2 shots down until Aiden won the 14th to make it All Square. The team then won the 16th and 17th holes to give a 2&1 win.
NAPGC Ballantyne, Round 2
Following a concession by Addington Court in Round 1 (couldn’t raise a team !) the Richmond Park B team played Tilgate Forest B at Richmond Park (Duke’s) on a hot Saturday afternoon and won 2:1, to move to Round 3 (for the 3rd year in a row). The match was played in a friendly, but very competitive atmosphere, and was anyone’s match till the 17th hole of the final group’s game.
Richard Back and Peter Harrison were Richmond’s first pair out and took complete control early on, finally winning out 7&6 with 3 birdies on the front 9 and a level par score for the 12 holes played. Our second pair (Richard Owen and Gerard Ouattara) went 2 down after 3 but were back level after 5 holes. However, the Tilgate captain, playing off 13, only dropped 3 shots to par on the front 9 and so they were back to 2 up after 9 holes and the match was closed out on the 16th green as a 4&2 loss. Our third pair out (Iker Lanzagorta and Nick Rogers) had a close match all the way, level after 14 holes but securing a 2&1 win on the 17th green.
NAPGC Siemens Bowl
Richmond Park’s progress in the Siemens Bowl has rarely been straightforward, and our opening two rounds of the 2026 competition offered further evidence that this competition seldom grants comfort. It serves only to show that perseverance, more than anything else, carries teams forward.
Hennerton 3rd May — A Narrow Win in Heavy Conditions
The opening tie against Hennerton was shaped long before a ball was struck. Torrential rain the previous day had left the course soft underfoot, the greens holding but unpredictable, and the fairways offering little run. It was a day for patience rather than panache.
Away from home, Alex and Sean produced a measured performance, edging their match 40–39. It was the sort of away result that matters in this format — not spectacular, but valuable. Alongside them, Julian and Cuneyt, it was a match that never quite broke free, settling at 43–43 — an impressive result for both teams, and an outcome for a contest defined by the smallest of margins. Back at Richmond Park, conditions were marginally kinder. Tony and Richard controlled their match from the outset, winning 40–33, while David and Jonno were edged out 35–32 in a fixture that turned on a handful of putts.
Once the arithmetic was settled , Richmond emerged with a narrow but deserved 155–150 win — a reminder that we had been tested, and had just about done enough to come through.
Brent Valley 30th May— Heat, Pressure and a Strong Away Showing
If Hennerton was a study in resilience, Brent Valley was a test of endurance. The heat was unrelenting, the air heavy, and the fairways firming by the hour.
Alex and Sean, again on the road, found themselves 3 points down at the turn, their opponents adapting more quickly to the pace of the greens. But as the temperature rose, so did Richmond’s resolve. The pair steadied, then surged, turning deficit into a 4‑point victory as Brent Valley faded late on.
Cuneyt and Tony were more assured, winning 43–36 with a performance built on consistency and some impressive shot making.
At home, Julian and Rob delivered a masterful 10 point win, while Jonno and David held their nerve for a narrow 2‑point success.
The final margin, 153–130, brought a sense of tired relief more than anything else, though a win by thirteen points in this competition is no small feat. It reflected a long, draining day in which Richmond simply kept going and were rewarded for it.
Wycombe Heights Awaits — 4 July
We now move on to Wycombe Heights, where the challenge will be different again. The margins will tighten, the pressure will rise, and the competition will demand more of the same resolve that has carried us this far.
Midweek May Plate
Another hot and sunny day made more more pleasant by a cooling breeze. The ground is still dry and running and the scoring was good.
Two players topped the leader board with 37 points with Chris Rudkin edging out Julian James on countback by having scored 20 points on his back nine. Peter Fisher in 3rd scored 36 points but could only manage 15 on the back nine after scoring 21 on the front. Tom Simpkins and Brian Ransom each scored 34 points but Tom won on countback with 17 on the back nine to take 4th place.
Spring Bank Holiday Plate & Women’s Committee Cup Rd2
Committee Cup
Congratulations to Ellie for winning her first major comp with us – I’m sure there will be many more to come Ellie! and to Jenny for her 34 points yesterday and only losing out by 1 point overall… total scores 66 to Ellie & 65 for Jenny.
It is fair to say that no one apart from Jenny shone in the sun with scores being somewhat surprisingly low.
But there were 3 birdies yesterday which is probably our best day for them for some time.
Unusually this leg was held in conjunction with the plate so all playing today figure in the plate results below.
Plate
Unusually for a Bank Holiday weekend the sun shone but it didn’t inspire many to great things.
Rannesh with his 38 points took over the lead from Kerry on 37 and as more of the scores from the following 3 games were entered, his confidence in a win increased and he left sure of it. If he’d waited another couple of minutes he would have seen PaulK’s 39 points going into the system.
So Paul won the plate, but Rannesh was still a winner as Paul doesn’t enter the sweep.
Founder’s Cup – J Hume (3 of 6)
No excuses with the weather, apart from a gentle to moderate breeze. The greens were fairly true. The fairways were patchy but it’s still preferred lies, so no excuse there either. Off the fairway, not always so easy.
For the men, scoring overall seems fairly equitable across white or yellow tees, but its noted the top two scores were white. One such score being from Martin Hay, who wins the day by a fairly comfortable 3 points. Really well done.
Ellie Rhodes and Gina Jillett were also at the top, although it was Gina with the rare eagle, on 18, and banking 5 points in the process. The assumption has to be an exquisite short wedge hole out.
In the Founders Cup series, after 3 rounds, Gina leads by one from Ellie, and they are both well clear of the rest, and will take some catching. – see attached.