The Curtain Comes Down On ODGS 2024 Season At Knole Park Golf Club

ODGS Match Report – Knole Park

The Dawes Cup

Our final event of OD calendar year at Knole Park attracted an amazing 12 ODs far exceeding the normally high attendance from the OLs (this is a joint event). It was even more pleasing to welcome Robert Dicketts, Jack Fuller (as ever the longest drive from Belgium) and Justin Hatfield to their first 2024 OD golf day. Given the recent shocking weather, we were all very thankful for a mild dry start, the day warming sufficiently to enable many to remove their winter golf tops to expose their pristine red OD short sleeve jumpers (much to the envy of the other Knole Park golfers!).

Knole is one of our fixtures which normally serves up a special memory given the outstanding views of the House and the parklands with the Fallow deer herd roaming freely. This year there were even more old stags visible to the general public as they wandered round the park grounds, who occasionally stopped to watch their tee shots.

Whilst the tees and greens & greenside aprons were in excellent condition, sadly the condition of the fairways 1 to 15 were quite dreadful. Our shoes, carts and clubs after every shot being caked in mud. (To provide a comparison I played Tyrrells Wood today where their fairways were impeccable). We finally arrived at descent grassy fairways at the 16th hole. The difficulty of hitting a ball off this mud (at least that was my excuse), clearly had an impact on the overall scores as the average group score was only 28.

Even with the muddy conditions, the winning omens were quickly set by Richard on the 1st tee who demonstrated with a 186-yard uphill drive, how to avoid this mud by landing his ball on the green to secure 3 pts on the 1st hole. His fine run of form, extending from ‘The West Surrey Triangular’ continued through the day to record an incredible 41 points. Securing Richard the Prestigious Dawes Cup, newly cleaned and engraved by Tony but also a liberal libation to quench his thirst when he got home and perhaps an appeasement given, he had been golfing or away for the previous 5 days.

The Bruce Johnson Salver

Second place for the day was Charlie who yet again played another solid round of golf to record 33 pts (and 101 pts for his best 3 rounds) to pip myself by one point for the Bruce Johnson Salver.

In the team competition, the dynamic duo of Richard and Charlie secured their team first prize and yet more opportunity for thirst quenching reduction. The Tubman brothers and Mark dovetailed excellently to pip Tony, Justin and me for second place.

Nearest the pins were Justin and then Mark on a further hole with Mark winning the very generously donated Prize awarded by Jack enabling both Justin and Mark to ensure their ‘‘Majestic’ carrier bags were evenly balanced.

As ever the food and the very attentive staff were a credit to Knole.

 

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