Bush Hill Park
Women's Captain's Blog, 11th September 2025
For our President’s Prize for Women on Wednesday, 10 September, we had four seasons in one day! The changes in weather - a chilly wind, with sudden showers, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, followed by bursts of warm sunshine - ensured that we were constantly putting umbrellas up or down, taking clothes off or putting them on, trying to get comfortable! A wonderful red kite was spotted, swooping low over the fairways then rising to the unpredictable, gusty thermals. The chatty parakeets were more subdued than normal; and even the Canada Geese had their heads buried under their wings for much of the time. The foxes thought better of appearing at all! But 36 women played undaunted!
Our President, Iain Lanario, was a supportive (and patient) presence throughout the whole event: seeing us off at the first tee from the early morning; sustaining us at the hut with the most delicious pastries and hot drinks, served by his wife, Beth; offering us wine after the event; and being there until all scores were entered and the prizes could be presented.
The winners were:
1st Kate Malleson - 41 points
2nd Emma Supple - 39 points
3rd Sue Nugent - 38 points
NTP in 2 on the 4th - Ruth Goulding
NTP on the 7th - Nikki Chodurek
NTP on the 13th - Annie Golby
We had some extra excitement for the day when Ruth Goulding got a hole in 1 on the 5th, and Iain kindly presented her with an extra prize for this achievement.
It was also our monthly Stableford for which the winners were:
Div 1 Sue Nugent 38 points - 2nd Tracey Ripsher 37 points
Div 2 Kate Malleson 41 points - 2nd Gaye Illsley 37 points
Div 3 Emma Supple 39 points - 2nd Sally Minks 32 points
In addition to Ruth’s amazing hole in one on the 5th, there were three who scored a two: Sue Nugent on the 5th; Tracey Ripsher on the 13th; and Emma Supple on the 1st.
Huge congratulations to all our winners! There were some really good scores!
Prior to our four seasons in one day Wednesday, we had a warm but blustery day for the Iris Sumner Trophy on Sunday, 7 September. The course had benefitted from some rain last week, but the greens were as tricky as ever, particularly the finish around the holes! Twelve pairs participated, two of which were not yet eligible to win but had entered for the experience and did well: Mahan Janczur and Ann Jones had 41 points!
But the competition winners were Shanta Balram and Rita Kapur with 40 points, closely followed by Chris Robertson and Sue Collins with 39 points.
Sue Nugent scored the only two for the day.
Many congratulations to our winners and runners-up, and to those with low handicaps who scored well. There was drink and cake for all.
Next Sunday afternoon on 14 September, it is the Grace Lawrence Business Women’s Cup. This is a Stableford open to all players who are still in full or part-time employment, or self-employed. There aren’t that many of you so please enter if you are available to play. You still have time as entry doesn’t close until the weekend.
Then the Wednesday after, on 17 September, it is the penultimate major competition in my Captain’s year: the Autumn Meeting. This is an individual medal competition for Divisions 1 and 2 in the morning, followed by a 9-hole Team competition in the afternoon for Divisions 1 -3. There will be an early evening, two course meal after, costing £23.95, followed by a prize presentation. One of the prizes to be presented is the Lisney Trophy, awarded for the best nett aggregate scores of the morning rounds for the Spring and Autumn meetings combined.
You are welcome to join us for the meal even if you haven’t played. Please sign up your meal preference on the list in our Locker Room by Sunday, 14 September.
On Monday, 22 September, we have the Women’s Committee Cup, Mrs Shaw’s Trophy, from 8am. with a lunch after. To be eligible to play in this you need to have been a past or present Committee member for a full calendar year.
The final Wednesday competition of my year, on September 24th, is the Autumn Cup for Divisions 1 and 2, and the September medal for Divisions 1 to 3. Both competitions can be played on Sunday, 21 September. And, there is also a 9-hole Stableford on the Wednesday.
The Final Medal competition for those who have won a monthly medal between March and September in all 3 Divisions is to be played on Sunday, 28 September or Monday, 29 September. Helen has put a list up of the winners and you play again just once, choosing someone from that list to partner you. There is one overall Medal winner.
There is also a final Stableford competition played on either the following Sunday, 5th October or Monday, 6th October.
These dates are not negotiable. If you are eligible and want to enter you have to be available to play on one of those dates.
Two other key date dates for your diary: the Club AGM on Thursday, 25 September; and our Women’s Section AGM on Tuesday, 30 September. Please come to our AGM and support our new Women’s Captain, Umar Annaradnam. Our Secretary, Hazel Goodyear has emailed you the AGM papers; and the notices of nominations for new Committee members are on the Locker notice board.
On Thursday, 28 August, the final of the Summer Foursomes for Divisions 3 and 4 was hotly contested. It was a close match, going to the 19th hole where the winners, Shanta Balram and Ann Jones just beat Christina Galloway and Sally Minks. Congratulations to the winning pair and to the Runners-Up; and thank you to all those who entered and experienced, probably for the first time, a match play competition.
In the deepest, darkest depths of the dense, deciduous woods by the 10th fairway (I just love alliteration!), my daughter and I staged a rescue operation on the fire extinguisher taken from the hut when it was vandalised a couple of weeks ago. While walking on the path by the New River on Monday, I spotted it lurking in the undergrowth of our woods, behind the iron railings. We scrambled through brambles and sharp twigs via the course, only to find (unsurprisingly!) that the fire extinguisher had been set off and thrown away when discharged…. But it was the thought that counted …. and it is possible to refill them….
Time to bring this blog to an end! The Puerto Rican professional golfer, Chi Chi Rodriguez once made this observation: ‘A golf ball is like a clock. Always hit at 6 o’clock and make it go toward 12 o’clock. But make sure you are in the same time zone’.
So now we know that our wayward shots happen when we get our time zones confused!
Happy BST golfing in case switching to GMT in a few weeks has an adverse effect!
Alison Towndrow
Women’s Captain
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