Club Matches
Club Matches
Gordon Forster Bowl 2022/23
Following last year’s triumph by a team from Richmond Park winning the GF Bowl Trophy, the club entered 4 teams in this year’s (winter) competition.
The Richmond Park “B” team, captained by Uli Katte, were the first to play their Round 1 match. This was against Portsmouth on a dull, partly rainy Sunday. The game at Richmond teed off on the Prince’s course at 9am, whereas it was an 11am start at Portsmouth. Tense and convivial rounds were played at both venues with a narrow victory for Richmond Park (113 points to 111 points) being the result.
The home team of Alvaro Garcia-Hoz and Kim Chaffart did the ‘heavy lifting’ scoring 68 points to their opponents 60 points. The star of the team was Alvaro, especially on the back 9 (22 points, with birdies on the 12th and 15th).
At Portsmouth the heavy rain during November had taken it’s toll on the course, with only 13 holes ‘fully’ open (mainly from mats), plus one 65 yard pitch over a 40 yard drop. Our away team of Uli and Richard Owen matched Portsmouth on the front 9 but slipped to a 6 points deficit by the time the shortened 14 holes were completed in the rain. We did think that we had closed the match out on the 13th hole when, from the tee, we believed Uli had hit a hole-in-one, however his ball was short and in the mud – like all the other balls!
NAPGC Hawtree Final
It was a disappointing end to this year’s challenge by the club to win the mixed greensomes Hawtree Trophy, with the Richmond B team coming 3rd at the Finals Day at Staverton Park on September 3rd. Once again the ‘local’ team of Rose Hill Golf Club won the trophy with an astonishing 169 points (more than an average of 42 points/pair), with Hoebridge in 2nd place (142 points) and Richmond Park B (140 points).
Richmond Park’s best scoring pairing were Peter Goodall and Joan Mulcahy (41 points); other players representing the club at the final were Veronica Mitchell (team captain), Silvia Bortoli, Cheryl Woodhouse, Roger Rojas, Tamas Ladacs and Richard Owen.
Kelso Hamilton East Semi-Final
Richmond Park lost to Reigate Heath on The Duke’s course.
The home team of Uli Katte and Richard Owen couldn’t match the high scoring pair of Paul Canary and David Ling, to whom they were giving shots. Reigate Heath went on to lose the East Final to Richmond Golf Club (Sudbury).
Kelso Hamilton Round 4
Richmond Park beat Thames Ditton GC in their quarter final match on the Duke’s course, progressing to the Semi Final.
In blistering hot conditions, the Richmond pair of Uli Katte and Richard Owen ‘saw off’ the challenge of Thames Ditton with a 5 & 3 win.. Although we were giving them 5 and 7 shots, Richard’s birdie on the 1st, followed by Uli’s birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes, settled the nerves and gave us a cushion lead, which was maintained throughout the round with some sparkling play, particularly by Uli (who was individually level par gross on the front 9).
Hawtree Trophy Round 3
The Richmond Park ‘B’ team captained by Veronica progressed through to this year’s Area Finals with a win against Farnham Park. Unfortunately the Richmond Park ‘A’ team lost to Wexham Park, who now play Richmond Park ‘B’ in the Area Finals.
Clapham Common Round 2
This year’s second round match in the Clapham Common Shield and Ellis Cup was played against Perivale Park golf club. In a high scoring game, Perivale were the winners 244 vs 226. Incredibly high scores were posted by the 3 Perivale ‘home’ pairs over two laps of their 9 holes course : 44, 44 and 48 points, so although the Richmond Park home team were a total of 11 points up on Perivale’s away team, it was just not enough. In fact, Perivale’s total team score of 244 was considerably higher than any score posted in the games played for the 2021Clapham competition!
Kelso Hamilton Round 3
Richmond Park won their away match against Woodcote Park golf club in the 3rd round of the Surrey Golf Kelso Hamilton 4BBB knockout competition.
The Woodcote Park golf course, near Coulsdon, was in wonderful condition with many trees and bunkers and large, fast, undulating greens. The match started in glorious warm sunshine, rapidly deteriorated to 3 hours of persistent rain, with the sun re-appearing for the final 2 holes. It was an extremely close match, never more than 2 holes in it, and the Richmond Park team of Richard Owen and Uli Katte never in-front until the 19th hole had been played.
Hawtree Trophy Round 2
The Richmond Park ‘B Team’, captained by Veronica away and Cheryl at home, won their 2nd round match against Wexham Park A by the tightest of margins (back 9 countback after stableford points scores were level). They play Farnham Park B in the next round.
NAPGC Hawtree Trophy
The Richmond Park A team played their 2nd Round mixed greensomes match against Huntswood B in glorious warm Spring sunshine. Overall it was a close match with Richmond Park winning 150 points to 146 points.
Richmond Park’s away pairs of Katharina & Kim and Caroline & Uli amassed 73 points to Huntswood’s 81, a deficit of 8 points. However, Richmond Park’s home pairs of Sheena & Peppe and Lia & Richard Hanna amassed 77 points to Huntswood’s 65, a 12 points margin.
Kelso Hamilton Knockout
An RPGC team comprising Uli Katte and Richard Owen won their 2nd round match in this year’s Kelso Hamilton East, Surrey Golf competition against Dulwich and Sydenham Hill golf club. It was a close game, played on the Duke’s course, with never more than 2 holes in it (although RPGC were never behind). The final result, a 2&1 win, was clinched by Richard’s birdie on the 17th hole. The next game is away at Woodcote golf course in Coulsdon.