Women

The author feels she inspired her playing partners today! With a healthy 3point lead to take into the 2nd leg of the Committee Cup, Ellie leads the way with 38 points. Niamh is in second place on 35 with Alison a further 2 back on 33.
Ellie started with a birdie and her score could have been so much better without the 2 pickups on 3 & 4.
It’s true to say there was a healthy range of scores out there today.

Men

A largely cloudy, overcast day but periodically warm, when the sun broke through. The Duke’s course was in generally good condition (except for the bunkers!), with slightly faster greens than of late and had clearly benefited from the rain over the past few days.

Although starting with a double bogey, Alan Treacy won the Summer Cup with a very solid round of 39 points (19 points out, 20 points in), with birdies on the 6th and 8th holes. Mark Bean’s 2nd place (also 39 points) was 20 out and 19 in, so very close. Three points back were Will Balakkrishnan (3 birdies) and Lee Frost. The remaining sweep winners were Nick Rogers, 5th (35 points) and Brian McMahon 7th (34 points).

Rain, strong wind, hail, dead calm, sun, rain, hail, thunder, roughly in that order, then repeat…x 4. It was warmer in Helsinki, according to the Evening Standard.
The greens, at times, were slow to drain, and if unable to drop somewhere, required 62 degree wedges. The large puddle at front of 16 was particularly troublesome for otherwise good tee shots. Putting over a picturesque bed of hail stones was also taxing. Difficult to practice that one.
The early groups may have had it a bit easier.

Anyway, the two standout scores, overcoming the above, which comfortably beat the rest of the field, and both from the top division, were from Angus Robertson (lowest gross) and Sheena Harrington. Very well done. In the Grand Medal, Angus has a commanding lead (200 points) from a chasing pack of 3 players on 207 points (Julian James, Sheena and Richard Owen).

Top Net Scores as follows:

Division 1:
Angus Robertson: 65 (from 7)
Sheena Harrington: 65 (from 19)
Russell Stewart: 68 (from 12)
Toby Hunt: 68 (from 15)

Division 2:
Peter Fisher: 72 (from 24)
Graham Cull: 73 (from 22)
Peter Miller: 73 (from 26)
Iain Barbour: 74 (from 29)
Martin Hay: 77 (from 21)

Well done all…..for completing the round.

Women

Huge congratulations to Doreen for beating the rest of the field by 3 shots, which would have been better were it not for a penalty score, in the first Sunday medal of the year for the women.
Playing off a somewhat lower handicap, Gina was second with the lowest gross.

Conditions were interesting today with what seems to be an ever present swirly wind along with a course that has become dry very quickly.

Men

It was a chilly and very windy start to our rounds but mainly sunny conditions then developed, just one short shower and wind seemed to ease a little.

Clearly the weather and course conditions were a test for almost everyone, with only 4 of the 48 players managing to play to their handicap, or better. However, Peter Harrison (Division 1) was undetered and played an exceptional round, 10 shots under his handicap for a net 58 – Peter had a level par 33 on the back 9 and 5 pars and 4 bogeys on the front 9. Allan Boyd (net 65) and Nigel Ward (net 67) were 2nd and 3rd respectively in Division 1, with everyone else in Div. 1 playing over their handicap.

In Division 2, Gregory Jean- Baptiste wins the monthly medal glass with his net 67, 3 ahead of Sean O’Sullivan, with Olav and Liam Roberts taking 3rd and 4th places, a further shot back.

After just 2 rounds in the Grand Medal (best 5 rounds from 8), the Division 1 leader is Nigel Ward on 137, who has an 8 shots lead over Kerry and Oz. In Division 2, Greg J-B leads with 138 shots, 3 ahead of Jonno, with Julian James & Charles Haines a further 5 shots back.

We had the best weather of the year so far, temperatures in the 20’s and quite a few of the men players wearing shorts. However, despite the Dukes being in good condition and the greens generally truer than they had been for a long time, the overall scores for The Masters Bowl stroke play event were fairly average with only half a dozen people matching or bettering their handicap, no twos being recorded and more than a dozen entering No Returns.

Early starter Gina Jillett will be taking home RPGC’s Masters Bowl with her net 67, beating Martin Hay on countback. Just behind were Bill Norman and Graham Cull (both 68), and Charles Haines and Tom Simpkins both on 69.

It was a chilly, windy day but pleasant when the sun was out. Good delineation of the fairways although the grass was longer than it should have been because the greenkeeping staff had been engaged in turf laying during the week on Prince’s. Congratulations to:
1st: Olav Bridie, 36 points
2nd: Greg Wright, 35 points (countback)
3rd: Brian McMahon, 35 points
(Joe Goncalves would have won on 36 points with his 4 birdies and the lowest gross score, if he hadn’t been disqualified for submitting an unsigned card !)

The weather was kind with a pleasant temperature and a gentle breeze. The greenkeeping staff had been busy laying new turf on the 7th and 16th tees, on the re-shaped 13th greenside bunker and on the left hand side of the last bunker before the 14th green.

Kim Chaffart was in the early groups out and posted a gross 71 (net 64) in Div 1, which proved too good for the rest. Kim dropped 3 shots to par on the first 5 holes, then par’d the subsequent 13 holes. This was Kim’s best round since June 2025. Nearest in Div 1 on countback was Susan Smith with her net 68 from Bill Norman, Richard Owen, Pralab Barua, Julian James and Richard Smith (all with net 68).

In Div 2 Alison Chadwick also posted a net 64 just beating Graham Cull with his net 65. Richard Marriott followed with his net 67 with Mike Jones and Richard Norden with net 68’s.
After 2 rounds of the Midweek Grand Medal: In Div 1, Julian James & Angus Robertson jointly lead on 135 shots, from Bill Norman and Richard Owen, both on 138 shots. In Div 2, Fhorkan Uddin leads on 138, from Richard Marriott (139) and Mike Jones & David Grace, both on 141.

Today’s Spring Stableford Round 2 also doubled up as the last round of the Midweek Winter Competition, which is played over 8 rounds with the best 3 counting. The results are given below, Kevin Prendergast winning by 3 points from Tamas Ladacs.

Today we were blessed with Strong gusty cold winds and showers. Fortunately most of today’s players were in the club house when the heavy hail shower came down. Considering the conditions, scores were quite good. Tamas Ladacs, today’s winner, scored 38 points – 20 out and 18 in, Graham Cull was runner up with a commendable 17 out and 18 back for his 35 points. Julian James (34 points) just pipped 5 players on 33. Richard Marriott came 4th on countback from Richard Owen and Bill Norman.
This was the 2nd (and last) round of the Midweek Spring Stableford and Richard Marriott won on countback from Bill Norman and Peter D Harrington, who all had 66 points.