Member’s Monthly Club Competitions

Members are invited to enter as many club competitions as possible. Friendly swindle or society golf is fun where you can relax and just play. However the game of golf is completely different when you have a scorecard in your hand and ever shot counts.

Playing competition golf also helps golfers who wants to improve their overall game. There is nothing more valuable than experience both ‘good and bad’ and this will grow after each monthly competition that you enter.

Playing in the monthly competitions and handing in marked scorecards will also keep your playing handicap current and up to date. You will also have a much better indication of where your game is positioned at that time with an active handicap.

MONTHLY MEDALS  – WHITE TEES

There is no room for error in medal competition golf and it is a real test of both a players golfing ability and their mental strength. It makes you focus more on ever drive, approach shot, chip and puts. It also highlights the importance of on-course management which can save you valuable shots when executed correctly.

In medal competitions everything has to be putted out to finish each hole. Missed puts are extremely costly when every single shot counts especially as the winning margin of the competition is normally only 1 or 2 shots better that the rest of the field.

There is at least one medal competition every month at Abridge .

The medals competitions are played over the whole weekend. Members should note that you can only enter once on either Saturday or Sunday. The medal is always played off white tees and there will be no changes to the tee or the pin positions over the 2 days which should make all things equal.

The only thing we cannot control is the weather so it’s worth checking the conditions for that weekend to ensure you play on the better day and give yourself the best opportunity to score well.

The result of the monthly medal is based on the Net Score ie Gross score less full handicap.

There are 3 divisional winners for low, mid and high handicaps. There are pro shop voucher for places 1, 2 and 3 depending on number of entries on each day. All divisional winners are guaranteed a place in the Gold medal competition.

CLUB STAPLEFORD COMPETITIONS – YELLOW OR BLUE TEES

A monthly stapleford competition gives all members the chance to play competition golf with a scorecard in their hand that will add that extra bit of pressure on each shot.

However Club stableford competitions overall results will normally allow for 1 or 2 bad holes. There may be that pulled or sliced drive which will leave you playing 3 off the tee or that duffed ‘fat’ shot that runs a meter of yards from where you are standing.

In the worst case scenario you end up with a ‘blob’ on your scorecard but this will certainly not damage your chances of getting a winning score as much as a 10 on the medal scorecard.

The rules of the competition mean that players can choose to pick their ball up if they can’t score on that hole but they do have to complete the hole by putting everything out if they want to score any points. Very often these would be straight forward ‘gimme’ puts but they are rarely practiced and certainly become much harder under pressure.

There is always one stableford competition each month and they will often alternate between yellow or blue tee boxes so make sure you know the rules and your ‘non bandito’ current club handicap before you get to the 1st tee.

The medals are played on both Saturday and Sundays. Members can enter once or on both days so a bad Saturday score can be erased with a good round on Sunday.

As with the medals there will be no changes to the selected tees or the pin positions over each day but remember to check the weather.

The 2 days are separate competitions and the result is based on the best stableford score on the Saturday and then again on the Sunday. There are pro shop voucher for places 1, 2 and 3 depending on number of entries on each day.

Abridge Golf Club 4 v 2 Harwich & Dovercourt Golf Club

A dominant home performance and an opportunist point away from home saw the team through to the quarter finals. Three solid wins at home provided the right recipe for success. Opening Pair Tom Goodey and Darren May maintained a lead after an early set back and sealed their win with a birdie at the last. Matt Hillyer and Jonathan lewis kept their opponents at arm’s length and cruised to a 4/3 victory. Final pairing of Peter Wendelken & Stephen ‘The Magic Putter’ Tall put in a determined and dogged performance to earn their point at the 17^th.

As play finished, Phones on……A lead off victory from Captain David Phillips and Phil Harris 3/1 effectively dashed Harwich & Dovercourts’s hopes. Big thanks to the rest of the away side who travelled so far for a game of golf: Dave Monk/Mick Collins & Austin Posner/Lewis Jacobs.

A place in the last eight! Perhaps a pipe dream back in March but the basic game plans, selection and execution have all worked well. We have been fortunate to have a wide pool of players to select from. The old adage of one game at a time is true, we now go into the draw and see where we go for our next adventure.

Well here we are half way through our 2019 season. Unlike last year, we have had a full uninterrupted fixture list so far, without the need to cancel or reschedule any matches due to bad weather!

The support we have had from the Abridge senior members has been fantastic. In so many matches we have received entries on our availability sheets far in excess of the twelve needed to form a team. We try to be as fair as possible in these circumstances by giving priority, where appropriate, to the first leg players and then choosing the rest by ballot. We are also mindful of members who have not or cannot play many games, so as to give everybody a chance to be involved.

We have adopted a ‘nearest the pin’ competition for our home matches, wherein each team compete for a bottle of wine. It just adds a little bit extra to the day.

Our matches are very competitive and played with pride to win. However, the overriding message is to enjoy the day, the company and have a relaxed post-match lunch and drink. We now, via the short speeches, release the overall result of each match rather than call them all an honourable draw!  

We have had a mixed set of results this year having beaten our local friends from Chigwell at home, likewise our sister club Dyrham at home (they got their revenge away) and recently had a 4 – 2 win over Enfield at home last week. Both Chigwell and Enfield will have their chances for revenge in July.

Our annual match with the ladies section is scheduled for 15^th July and we are pleased to report that this has been well supported and our team selected. 

It’s always nice to have members with low handicaps within our ranks and urge more to put their names on the availability sheets. Having said that, a big thanks to those low handicap players who help us out on a regular basis.

On 2^nd October we will be having our end of season tournament.

As always, a big thank you to Stanley Brattman for organising the pairings and liaising with the opposition. Also to Stanley Lopata for looking after our treasury function and generally offering a helping hand.

Barry Brett and Martin Marcus

Our efforts at Benton Hall Golf Club were not quiet enough to avoid defeat & gain qualification (6-3). The ‘Singles’ were in for a tough time with local knowledge key. The hosts were not prolific but kept the ball straight and simple. A great fight back by Darren May was the solitary point won in this section.

The ‘Pairs’ once again continued to demonstrate the strength of our side with two commanding wins from Steve Golding & Austin Posner, Tom Goodey & Phil Harris. Mick Collins and Steve Tall were left to play what was an effective dead rubber with pride at stake.

Dave Phillips, Captain felt that much had been gained from this season, progress and improvement, building of a system that players have ‘bought in to’ and a strengthening team ethic. The depth of selection has been considerable with those selected not letting themselves, the team or club down. A big thanks & well done!  to all for the massive commitment, effort and support over the last few months

Our attention now focuses upon the Norman Plumb Trophy. We play Harwich & Dovercourt, passports at the ready! Always an interesting competition with 3 pairs home and away in two different parts of the county at the same time!