Our Club Officials Challenge event was played yesterday (Thu 5 September), after a couple of years in abeyance.
In 2022, the event scheduled to be played at Hartsbourne Country Club was cancelled the morning of the event due to torrential rain overnight and in the morning that had flooded the course, and in 2023 there was a special Centenary event run in its stead.
In 2024 we returned again to the idyllic Hartsbourne Country Club, located on the outskirts of Bushey, to play the event and we hoped for much joy than 2 years before.
Unfortunately on arrival that morning the weather decided not to play ball and was decidedly autumnal, grey, spitting with rain and very mild. Despite that a full compliment teed off on a 10am shotgun start with 26 pairs in total playing fourball betterball stableford, but with both pairs from the same club combined to create a team score.
Thankfully the weather improved as the players progressed, although the wind increased and became very blustery at times. Reports received of several blown over trolleys!
When all the scores were finally tallied there was a tie in the main team event on 75 points cumulative between the teams from Ash Valley & Panshanger. The tie needed to be resolved by cumulative back 9 scores, where Ash Valley’s total of 38, 19 + 19, edged out Panshanger by 3 points, 35, 19 + 16. The winning Ash Valley team were JohnO Oakley & Geoff Rook & Alan Smith & Paul Ireland. JohnO made a very complimentary and humble victory speech and it seemed like a good day was had by all. Hartsbourne CC were excellent hosts, in particular the service and the catering were exceptional.
Congratulations to Ash Valley and we hope for more clubs and teams for the 2025 playing of the Club Officials Challenge event.
