Golfing Society (OSBGS)   Old St Beghians’ Golfing Society The Halford Hewitt Competition, which started over ninety years ago, is something which every keen OSB golfer should experience and there can be no better time than April 2018, ahead of the school’s re-opening. It would be wonderful if this year we could encourage everyone to make a special effort to be at Sandwich and seek selection. The date of the AGM and Draw is Wednesday, 10th January 2018. It will be a great pleasure for those attending the East India and Sport Club in St James not to have to field the same questions about the future of the school. The Committee has set this year’s entry fee at £895. As was the case last year, this includes a sum of £20 which will be allocated to a special Hewitt ‘Centenary Fund’ in order to build up a suitable reserve for the appropriate celebrations in 2024. We have plentiful (subsidised) accommodation as well as the opportunity to play some of the UK’s finest links from Monday, 2nd April - for a week! PLEASE get in touch with Adrian Peckitt rapeckitt8@hotmail.com and join in.

2018 Fixtures: HALFORD HEWITT CUP (10 aside scratch foursomes) - Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club & Royal St. George’s Golf Club – Kent, Wednesday 4th – Sunday 8th April, 2018. CONTACT Adrian Peckitt: rapeckitt8@hotmail.com. GRAFTON MORRISH (6 aside scratch foursomes) Regional Qualifying – Fixby Hall Golf Club – Huddersfield, Sunday, 20th May, 2018. CONTACT Andy Deall: ajdeall@hotmail.co.uk. FINALS Royal West Norfolk GC & Hunstanton Golf Club – 4th-7th October, 2018. CYRIL GRAY TOURNAMENT (over 50 years - 6 aside scratch foursomes, for the last 32 Schools to enter the Halford Hewitt) – Worplesdon Golf Club – Surrey, Wednesday 20th – Saturday, 23rd June, 2018. CONTACT Michael Coffey: Michael@golfclubsec.co.uk. THE QUEEN ELIZABETH CORONATION SCHOOLS TOURNAMENT (6 aside scratch foursomes) - Royal Burgess GC – Edinburgh, 22nd - 24th September, 2018. CONTACT Andrew Goodwin: andrew@trulyonline.co.uk. THE CRITCHLEY CUP – 2018. Will be held at Seascale Golf Club on Saturday, 7th July 2018. The cost for non-Seascale Members will be £50 to include lunch after the round. Members of the Society are entitled to enter. Entry to Tom Wright, Hon. Secretary: tomosbgolf@hotmail.com. Critchley Cup Best Stableford Score, Farquie’s Fortifier runner-up, Bill Fox Cup scratch prize, Dick Harrison Cup best score handicap 12+, Ken Case Tankard and  Seniors 55+. Please Click here for further details about The Critchely Cup 2018. Michael Coffey (President) and Tom Wright (Hon. Secretary)

Report from The Queen Elizabeth Coronation Schools Tournament 2017, 22nd to 24th September 2017: A great weekend was enjoyed by the Old St Beghian Golfing Society in Edinburgh at the Queen Elizabeth tournament. As the incoming captain, my remit was to encourage the under 30s to attend and to attract more interest in playing in the Halford Hewitt. I decided to promote the social side of the QE over the golf by using Edinburgh and its 700 plus bars and many restaurants as the main attraction. Ten golfers turned up at the Braid Hills in Edinburgh to qualify for a place in the six person team. On a dry but blustery day, all golfers enjoyed the course and the spectacular views over Edinburgh and the Castle. Rodney Atkinson battled over the tough hillside terrain and despite subtle protestations was not last but was part of the four who tried, but did not quite achieve, the qualifying score of 23 scratch stableford points! Tough course! Jack Foley-Barwise, Ben Wilson and Ethan Spedding were the other three missing out on a team place. Their participation was nonetheless much appreciated. After the golf a great evening was had in Morningside.  Fed and watered the team prepared well for a morning encounter with Royal High School. The first match of top qualifying pair John Currie and Andy Crummey didn’t quite manage to maintain their qualifying form and went down early 5 and 4. This left the remaining two close matches of Andrew Goodwin and John Berry and anchor pairing of Tom Wright and Adrian Peckitt to battle for a win. The anchor pair took an early lead and despite a fight back, St Bees, with some steady play in the middle of the game, hung on for a fine victory winning 3 and 2. John Berry and Andy Goodwin were playing consistent golf while their opponents were playing poorly, but they always managed a ‘magic shot’ on each hole to keep themselves in the game. After six holes St Bees’ spectators could not believe the match was still all square with our consistent golf being matched by unattractive and scrappy golf intermingled with brilliance. There are indeed many ways to achieve a score, and the middle pair of Royal High were demonstrating a wide and varied approach to achieving the same score as Goodwin and Berry. At times it was hysterical! Standing on the 18th tee St Bees were still just one up on their opponents in the deciding game. On a short par 4 hole Goodwin drove into the greenside bunker but once again Royal High continued poorly hitting another weak tee shot. Their second went into the burn and after a penalty drop their fourth shot was still short of the St Bees’ ball in the bunker. Everyone was waiting for the ‘magic shot’! It didn’t arrive and the game was won and the match 2/1. We celebrated in good style, in the West End of Edinburgh’s great city - maybe too much! However, wins have been in short supply for the OSBGS in recent years. An early 8:48 start saw the two reserves of Ben Wilson and Ethan Spedding taking the places of John Currie and Andrew Goodwin. The match was against past winners and formidable opponents on home turf, Watsonians. To cut the story short, St Bees were beaten by a strong Watson’s team 3/0. However, that result does not reflect the valiant efforts made by each of the St Bees team to take two matches to the 17th hole. With a little more composure it could just as easily have been 2 -1 to St Bees. Thank you to all attendees, great to see you all and make sure you attend the Halford Hewitt. Andrew Goodwin – Captain.

The Queen Elizabeth Coronation Schools Tournament 2017

For any further information on the OSBGS please contact Michael Coffey (OSBGS President): Michael@golfclubsec.co.uk or 01255 676727.

 

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The St Beghian Society    
St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.

         Tel: (01946) 828093      Email: osb@stbeesschool.co.uk      Web: www.st-beghian-society.co.uk