Richard Owen
Richard Owen
NAPGC Ballantyne, Round 3
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 4 (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.
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
(Sheena to complete)
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.
Men’s Summer Cup & Women’s Committee Cup Rd1
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).
NAPGC Ballantyne Trophy
Richmond Park entered two teams in the 2026 competition and the “A” team played their first (Round 2) match away at Bird Hills golf club. This is a 4 ball better ball matchplay format competition with 6 players (3 pairs from each team).
Our team captain Russell Stewart reported on the match, as follows:
“It has to be said that the course was in excellent condition and has undergone significant investment recently. The course benefits from improved drainage and tree surgery to open up airflow across the course and present a much dryer course in winter and during wet spells. A number of the greens are two tier and generally the course was interesting and enjoyable to play.
The RPGC A team players made up the following pairings – John Perkins & Russell Stewart (captain) , Alan Treacy & Craig Johnstone, with the last pair being Alan Boyd and Simon Russett.
Our first team out dominated their game losing the honour on only 1 of the 18 holes and eventually winning 5&3.
The second team were not so fortunate and the home advantage was exploited. Some long putts and taking advantage of handicap advantage, the Bird Hills team won 3&2.
Unfortunately it was a similar result for the last pairing who lost 4&3. The home pairing also clicked with one of them confessing to have played his best round since last year.
Our hosts were very friendly and the games were played in good humour, on a beautiful day for golf.”
Midweek May Medal (GM 3 of 8)
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.
April Monthly Medal-Men(GM 2 of 8) & Women
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.
Masters Bowl
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.
Easter Sunday Plate
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 !)