OM Golfing Society

As the golfing season draws to an end, I’m happy to report that the Golfing Society is thriving, and we’ve had a very busy and enjoyable year.

Our scratch team is getting both better, and younger and we were very happy to have Fred Daeche-Marshall making a winning debut at the Halford Hewitt (the public schools scratch tournament). We lost an extremely close game in the second round to a strong Sherbourne team, with two games going down the 19th. James Ellis, who is a stalwart of the Middlesex scratch team is doing a great job of turning us into serious contenders.

We have 130 members of all golfing abilities, from plus one to novices. We are always looking for new members, especially younger ones (to whom we provide very generous subsidies at all of our events). We have no lady members and would really like to have a ladies’ section.

We have many matches throughout the year against other school teams, at excellent venues such as Royal St Georges, Moor Park, West Hill and New Zealand.

We also have two annual matchplay competitions; a great way to meet other OMs and play different courses. Our members play at most of the finest courses in the South East (and Hendon).

Our annual autumn meeting weekend at Royal Cinque Ports is held in mid-September. OMGS members have Public School Membership rights (very reduced green fees) at one of the UK’s greatest courses.

Our Spring Tour this year was to Dublin, 24 OMs playing Druids Glen, Wicklow and the European Club. After Skibo and Dornoch and Castle Stewart two years ago we’ve continued our very high standard of venues, playing at world class venues. The golf might not have matched the quality of the courses, but fun was had by all.

Several OMs now seem to be investors in Dave Mercer’s latest venture, several of the older members (me) were lost in the complexity of cryptocurrencies.

We think that Elliot Hamilton won most of the prizes, but nobody seemed to notice, or indeed care. If Elliot didn’t win, then Beej Chandaria probably did.

It was great to see Peter Woodroffe at the Spring Tour, playing every day, despite being, extremely impressively, over 90 (age not hcp). Gordon Hawes, our ever-present President, and R&A member, represented the junior ranks admirably.

It’s a shame that Peter Tafler is retiring after two years’ captaincy; it’s been as ‘different’ as we’d hoped for. Derren Hamilton is our incoming Captain, assuming that the AGM (at the East India Club) is daft enough to elect him.

Colin Nunn (Burton Bank 75-81)