The Coachmakers Golfers – a report from your Captain

Pictured above: Assistant Lyn Litchfield and Liveryman Simon Gurney snatched the Duchess of Gloucester Cup in the annual golf fixture at New Zealand GC

As is normal for the golfers of the Coachmakers our first event of the season was at the prestigious New Zealand Golf Club in Woking on 9th April.

The fixture has been a longstanding association with the Leathersellers – who first played there in their spring meeting in the early 1970s.

Geoffrey Dove, a Liveryman of both Companies, started the event for the Leathersellers in the early 1970s and through his association with Past Master Robert Croall invited the Coachmakers to join in 1980 – Geoffrey’s son Edward was on hand this year, playing for the Leathersellers which was nice to see. Robert has never missed any of these matches and always brings down some chums from the Borders each year.

It’s an informal day out, with normally 18 holes of Pairs Better Ball in the morning, followed by 12 holes of Foursomes in the afternoon with a hearty lunch in the middle. As always there was some fierce competition as well as some extremely good golf.

This year your Captain Assistant Graeme Hunt and Secretary Liveryman Alex Wrighton were keen to retain the Duchess of Gloucester Cup for the third year running. Sadly, for them anyhow, the overall winners of the Duchess of Gloucester Cup were Assistant Lyn Litchfield and Liveryman Simon Gurney with an outstanding round of Pairs Better Ball Golf (with 39 Stableford points).

Well done to them both. Happily, your Captain, together with Liveryman Martin Derrick did however win the afternoon prize.

Our next match is the Prince Arthur Cup at Walton Heath on 16th May. This is our competition, started in honour of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught in 1927 accepting his invitation to be a guest of the Coachmakers’ Livery. He enjoyed our Livery so much that he went to become Master in 1932.

Here is a link which tells you all about our amazing competition: http://www.princearthurcup.co.uk/.

The third fixture of the year will be the Leathery Livery Golf day which is being played at the prestigious Royal Wimbledon on 13th June. We will field a team of four Coachmakers to play against the Girdlers, Leathersellers, Curriers, Cordwainers, Saddlers, and Glovers with each Company having two pairs battling for the extensive prizes and the honour of organising next year’s event.

Finally, our last day out is shared with the Leathersellers, Glovers, and the Ironmongers at Tandridge GC on 26th September. We play 18 holes in the morning and an afternoon round is optional. The cost per player includes green fees, bacon rolls & coffee on arrival and a four-course carvery lunch. This is a lovely course and a very convivial day, and I recommend it to all.