Women's Captain's Blog, 8th May 2025

Hmm, the sunny golfing of last week has not lasted and it was back to layers for warmth on a cool and cloudy Wednesday, with some sunshine in the afternoon. Thirty played in the morning medal; and 36 in the afternoon 9-hole competition for teams of four.   

As you will see from the results below there were some very close scores with players placed on countback: 

Scratch Prize: Lucy Bidmead with 86 (net 71) 

Division 1                  
1st Ruth Goulding  (67) 
2nd Alex Towndrow (71) 
3rd Ros Margey  (71) 

Division 2                
1st Mandy Lawson (70)
2nd Sue Agapiou  (75) 
3rd Helen Savage (75) 

NTP Division 1
Lisa Martin 

NTP Division 2
Mandy Lawson 

Afternoon team prize: Sarah Rees, Cela Selley, Tracy, Concadoro and Helen Gilbert  (42) 

Huge congratulations to all winners! Well done! 

All these prizes, and others for the last few months, were presented after our early evening meal of salmon with tarragon sauce, followed by apple and rhubarb crumble, attended by 40 people. It was a very relaxed evening enjoyed by all. 

We had a very successful Captain’s Charity Day on Monday, May 5th with a field of about 120 players, including a number of Spurs footballers. Guy’s blog has more details but particular congratulations to all our women winners: Sarah Rees for the putting competition; Ruth Goulding and Lucy Bidmead for nearest the pin; and Carol Dodd for nearest the pin in 2. We had a mixed team winning the day’s 18-hole competition: Anneka and Tom Vestey, and Carol and Andy Dodd. Great result! I was pleased to see a few more women entering this year. Thank you for supporting the day and helping to make it such a great success. And golf players can’t play on an empty stomach so thank you also to the cake makers of the 5th; and also a big thank you to the cake makers for the Spring Meeting! All delicious! The foxes could smell the wonderful food in the hut and were lining up in the hope of being thrown some crumbs. We didn’t! 

There is a friendly Triangular match at Hendon on Thursday, May 8th. Hope that goes well and is fun. 

Good luck to the Women’s 5-a-side team who are playing away to Grims Dyke on Sunday! We are all rooting for you! 

Next week on May 14th  it will be the Ping 4 Ball Better Ball, played in two’s. This Stableford competition is open to all Divisions so I’d like to see a bumper entry. We have 40 entries so far but no one with a 54 handicap. High handicappers this is for you as well – just find yourself a partner and enter. There is a 9-hole competition available too. 

The week after is our first 36 hole competition of the season, the Victory Cup, which was first presented in 1923. The handicap limit for entry to this, to be eligible to win, is 36. But you can enter for practice if you aren’t eligible. When you sign up, just make sure that those who are eligible to win take the earlier two- lot tee times as they have to play their next 18 holes early afternoon. It is a medal and there is an alternate 18-hole medal competition that will be played in three's. There is no 9-hole competition on May 21st. 

On May 28th it will be the Coronation Foursomes with a maximum handicap index of 40 to qualify.  

Then, please make sure, if you are over 60, that you have the fun Wrinklies competition in your diaries on Friday, May 30th in the afternoon. It is open to all Divisions and we play 13 holes -  or thereabouts! The competition is like The Flag and your handicap will be based on your course handicap plus your age! This is the first time we have played this particular age related competition so let’s have a competitive entry. Sign up from May 16th. Hopefully, some will want to stay for fish and chips after and we can make it a sociable evening. 

Also, don’t forget the Mixed Social Foursomes, the first of which is on Thursday, May 15th in the afternoon. Thirteen holes. Maximum handicap Index is 43.5. Then perhaps stay after to try the Prix Fixe meal of the month. 

Sign up in teams of four will open soon for the 130 Years Celebration on Friday, 11 July. 

It’s not too late to sign up for the Nightingale Night Hike on Friday,  May 16th. Details are on the Nightingale website. We have a number of people from the Club walking and we are helping to run the water station at the foot of Bush Hill so please feel free to turn up and support the walkers. 

And speaking of nightingales, it’s about now that their song should be heard. The liquid trills and repeated phrases are unmistakable.  So today’s quote has to be from Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale which he wrote in May, 1819, listening to the bird in a Hampstead garden: 

‘That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees/ In some melodious plot/ Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,/ Singest of summer in full-throated ease.’ 

Listen out for that ‘light-winged Dryad of the trees’ and please let me know if you hear one. 

Happy golfing on our particular ‘melodious plot of beechen green!'

Alison Towndrow
Women’s Captain
 

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