2021 ROYAL AIR FORCE GOLFING SOCIETY CENTENARY EDITION 2021 Member’s Name Patron, President and Vice-Presidents .............................. 2 Committee......................................................................... 3 The First 95 Years ............................................................ 4 Royal Patrons, Past Presidents, Chairmen and Secretaries ..................................................................... 8 Rules and Regulations .................................................... 10 Fixtures and Competitions 2021.................................... 12 Match Results 2020........................................................ 18 Individual Results 2020.................................................. 19 Past Winners ................................................................... 20 List of Members.............................................................. 38 Affiliated Members.............................................................. Entry Forms......................................................................... 2021 and 2022 Calendars..................................................... Patron: HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF YORK, KG GCVO CD ADC(P) President: Air Chief Marshal Sir PATRICK HINE GCB GBE FRAeS CIMgt Vice-Presidents: Air Vice Marshal T.L.J. BISHOP CB OBE MSc Air Vice Marshal S.D. BUTLER Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger PALIN KCB OBE MA 2 Committee: Wing Commander M.J. Middlemist (Chairman) Group Captain P.A. Bedford AFC FRAeS Mr R.A. Boyce MCGI MIET Wing Commander C.R.D. Dickens Squadron Leader N. Flather Mr T.J. Hanlon BEM Wing Commander J. Pearce Sqn Ldr G.F. Smith Wing Commander G.A.J. Tull Ex-Officio: Wg Cdr J.N. Parr RAF Chairman RAF Golf Association Hon Secretary and Treasurer: Group Captain R.F.R. Carr MBE 14 Shepherds Hill Bracknell Berks RG12 2LS Tel: 01344 486031 Mob: 07811 638745 e-mail: [email protected] Handicap Committee: Wing Commander M.J. Middlemist Group Captain R.F.R. Carr MBE Auditors: Wagstaffs Chartered Accountants Bracknell, Berks Bankers: Royal Bank of Scotland Plc Piccadilly Circus (A) Branch Lloyds TSB Bank Plc Hammersmith Broadway Branch 3 THE FIRST 100 YEARS The records of the formation of the Society and its early activities were unfortunately lost when the London home of the secretary was demolished by a bomb during World War II. However, it is known that the Royal Air Force Officers’ Golf Association was formed in 1921 and drew up a set of rules which remain the basis for those in use today. The original committee consisted of members from the Air Ministry, Cranwell, Halton and the Inland, Coastal, Bombing and Fighting Areas. This organisation remained until 1938 when the RAF Command structure evolved. Membership was limited to officers on the Active Service List and Auxiliary and Special Reserve Forces. Retired officers could continue their membership provided that the subscription of 5/- (25p) was “promptly paid”. Two meetings a year were held in Spring and Autumn, both of three days’ duration. In April 1921 the inaugural Spring meeting was held at Sandy Lodge with the Autumn meeting at St George’s Hill. Meetings in the early years were staged at Sunningdale, Berkhamsted, Walton Heath, Denham, Wentworth and Moor Park. The Championship meeting held in the Autumn was open to all members of the Association. A competition for serving officers commenced in 1926 at the Spring Meeting. Inter-Service matches were introduced in 1922 with the RAF defeating the RN but losing to the Army. The RAF had to wait until 1931 before becoming outright champions - the only pre-war success. On 17 April 1945 the Society reformed under its present title and in 1946 opened to all ranks, serving and retired. The WRAF was included from 1949. Inter Command and Inter Group matches became a feature of the calendar and the Society retained responsibility for selecting the RAF Inter- Service Team. The annual subscription remained 5/-. 4 Meetings continued to be held at first class courses (this is still the case; 10 of our venues are on courses consistently ranked in UK’s Top 100). The 3-day meetings regularly attracted over 100 players and in 1954 more than 200 members played in the Spring Meeting at The Berkshire. In 1956 over 150 players entered a 4-day meeting at St Andrews; the Provost of St Andrews presented the prizes. Players had to pay the starter the daily green fee of 7/6 (37p) in cash before play. The total membership during these years exceeded 1000. In 1973, after a gradual decline in numbers it was thought prudent to raise the annual subscription from £1 to £2. Veterans Scratch competitions started in 1952 with an additional Handicap Cup presented in 1967. In 1978 the veterans’ age increased from 55 to 65 to more accurately reflect the age of the participants. In 1971 the Inter-Services Sports Board decided that it was no longer appropriate for the Society to be responsible for selecting the RAF representative team and for retired members of the RAF to be subsidized by public funds. This led to the formation of the RAF Golf Association which has since been responsible for all golf within the RAF. Thus the RAF Golfing Society reverted to the role of a Society consisting mainly of retired members. The excellent Fixture List has remained stable for most of the last 30 years with 7 Meetings and 16 matches against golf clubs and societies. Our scratch teams enter 2 tough competitions and have achieved notable success in the prestigious Brent Knoll Bowl. The Scottish Tour started in 1975 with 8 players and has gone from strength to strength. Much of its popularity is due to the fact that members have been accommodated at Kinloss Barracks (formerly RAF Kinloss) and RAF Lossiemouth, evoking many memories. The Tour regularly attracts 36 members. 5 Many famous names have appeared in the Members’ List, among them: Open winners - Henry Cotton and Dick Burton; Amateur Champions - Robert Sweeny, Max McCready and Gordon Clark; British Ladies Champions - Enid Wilson, Pam Barton (also the USA Ladies Champion), Molly Wallis, Vanessa Marvin and Jill Thornhill. RAF golfers include: 9 Ryder Cup players - Henry Cotton, Dick Burton, Max Faulkner, Jimmy Adams, Charlie Ward, Peter Alliss, John Jacobs, Peter Mills and Tom Haliburton; 14 Walker Cup players - Chubby Hooman, Harry Bentley, Sam McKinlay, Frank Pennink, Alex Kyle, Laddie Lucas, Ronnie White, Ken Thom, Max McCready, Philip Scrutton, Douglas Sewell, Guy Wolstenholme, Stuart Murray and Gordon Clark; and 3 Curtis Cup players - Enid Wilson, Pam Barton and Jean Donald, and RAFGS members Vanessa Marvin and Jill Thornhill. RAF golfers have produced 10 England Matchplay Champions, 9 England Strokeplay Champions (formerly the Brabazon trophy), 7 Welsh Champions, 1 Scottish Champion, 6 English Ladies Champions, 3 Scottish Ladies Champions, 8 English Senior Champions, 2 Scottish Senior Champions, and 1 Welsh Senior Champion. RAF golfers have received 64 international caps and have won 172 national or international events and no less than 320 county championships! No account of the Society would be complete without mentioning Cecil Hayward - the first secretary of the Society. He held this position for 30 years and can be justly described as the father of RAF golf. Not only did he excel in administration but he won our Championship no less than 13 times in the first 15 years. He was the losing finalist in the English Amateur in 1926 and played for England. His daughter, Prue Riddiford, was the first winner of our Ladies Cup in 1951 and was Sussex Ladies Champion 12 times. Cecil Beamish is a name synonymous with RAF Golf. Inspection of the honours boards will show his immense 6 contribution to the game. He had a fine record as an Irish International and in the Amateur Championship and was our President from 1985-99. Our current President, Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, also has an outstanding golfing pedigree. At the age of 17 he won both the Brabazon Trophy and the Carris Trophy (the only golfer to do so). In 2010 he was elected Captain of the R&A -the 3rd Member of the Society to hold this office in 7 years, after HRH The Duke of York in 2003 and David Harrison in 2007. Our most renowned members are Sir Henry Cotton who was UK’s top professional golfer for many years and Peter Alliss, the leading golfer in his day and for many years the most famous voice in golf. The office of Honorary Secretary has been held by only five members: Cecil Hayward, H.D. (Nick) Nicholson, John Hart, Harry Griffiths and currently Roger Carr. This is a record of which any society would be proud. The annual subscription was raised from £10 to £20 in 2004 and has remained so despite the rising cost of golf. The Society remains a well respected and thriving golfing fraternity. Many new friendships have been formed and old ones rekindled. The annual intake of Members is encouraging. Steve Baxendale has constructed a brilliant web-site which contains: the Fixture List; the achievements of our most accomplished golfers; the records of all our competition winners; photographs of many RAF teams from the 1950s onwards and the minutes of recent AGMs. The section on the first 100 years of RAF golf has justifiably received many accolades. https://rafgs.org The society is proud of its heritage and is well placed to enter its second century. 7 Royal Patrons His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, 1935 - 1936 Later His Majesty King Edward VIII His Majesty King George VI 1936 - 1952 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1952 - 1997 Presidents Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond 1933 - 1939 GCB CMG CVO DSO Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1945 - 1949 Lord Tedder GCB Air Chief Marshal Sir John Slessor 1950 - 1952 GCB DSO MC Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1953 - 1984 Sir William Dickson GCB KBE DSO AFC Air Vice Marshal C.H. Beamish CB 1985 - 1999 8 Chairmen Air Marshal Sir Alan Lees 1945 - 1950 KCB CBE DSO DFC Air Marshal Sir Douglas Jackman 1950 - 1961 KBE CB Air Vice Marshal C.N Foxley-Norris 1961 - 1964 DSO OBE Air Commodore D.M. Strong CB AFC 1965 - 1966 Air Commodore P.O.V.