Essex Golf Union

So, Thorpe Hall A with a fantastic score of 111 points held on to their lead throughout the afternoon, winning the Faldo Wedge by five points from Romford A. They will now be representing Essex in the National Junior Club Championship later in the year at Woodhall Spa, we wish the team all the very best of luck for the event in August.

Our thanks to all the Junior Organisers that do so much for junior golf in the county and to Rochford Hundred Golf Club for hosting the event and making everyone so welcome. All the junior golfers were a credit to their Clubs.

2021 Essex Under 14’s Championship 
Maylands Golf Club 
24th August 2021

The Essex Under 14 Championship returned to Maylands Golf Club where Fred Stillwell’s Trophy is competed for, in conjunction with the scratch championship. The course was in great condition and some strong winds meant it was not going to play easy for the field of 35 under 14 year olds. The Under 14’s Championship is played as a gross score stroke play competition over 18 holes, and the Fred Stillwell trophy is presented for the best nett score. This year we also included a prize for the Best Gross Score for Girls.

The early scores were mixed with some of the field tackling the conditions well, none more so than Romford’s Charles Brigden who off a handicap of 22 managed an 88 nett 66. Being in one of the first groups out, Charles had a relatively long wait to see where that score would place. About half an hour later, Max Radden, also a Romford junior playing off of a 13 handicap managed to break 80 by shooting a 79 which tied Charles’ net 66, unfortunately for Max, not quite enough to top the board as countback worked in Charles’ favour. The next best nett score on the day was by Lily Frost with a very respectable nett 69. 

Although there were some good scores coming in, the course conditions were not easy and the Under 14’s Championship was not an easy one to call this year. Max Radden’s 79 was best in for a while but with the lower handicappers closing out their rounds, Colne Valley’s Charlie Rusbridge was amongst the favourites. Charlie managed to match the 79 of Max’s but countback saw him jump one place higher on the leader board, finally finishing in 4th place. Charlie’s fellow Colne Valley junior, Bailee Taylor, had a great days golf playing off a handicap of 6 shot 78 to take third spot, losing on countback to our Under 12 Champion Alfie Dorrington from Bentley. But the day belonged to another Romford Junior, Henry Linley returned a 75 to win by 3 shots from Alfie. A fully deserved victory with a round that saw three birdies, including a 2 on the 160 yard 11th.   

Charles Brigden (Romford) &  Henry Linley (Romford) with 
Maylands Club Captain Robert Finch.

Our thanks go to Maylands Golf Club, Robert Finch Maylands Golf Club Captain who helped present the prizes, Maylands Golf Club staff and their members for hosting the event and offering their course for the day. 

This event concludes the junior championship calendar but the Youth Shield Finals are yet to be played at The Warren on September the 12th. We wish all the teams and juniors competing the very best of luck. 

Boys Foursomes Championship
Wednesday 4th August 2021 
Gosfield Lake

Gosfield Lake Golf Club saw the return of The Boys Foursomes Championship, 25 pairs took part from Clubs around the county to compete for the junior equivalent of the Essex foursomes Championship. A Scratch Strokeplay Championship which is played over 36 holes. 

The weather was dry but breezy for the entire day, making conditions tough in this already challenging format. The course remained well protected from the stiff wind and quick greens which were proving to cause the players some difficulty based on some early scores from the morning round. Despite the winds, there were still some fine attempts from various teams in building a case for this year’s championship. Wanstead’s Shinil Balakrishnan & Josh Hussein carded an opening 78, one behind Mason Barningham & Daniel Starr from Colne Valley. Thorpe Hall’s Liam Evans & Billy Gunyon stole the lead for a short while with a very respectable 75. The score of the morning was from brothers Oliver & Theo Baker from Colchester. A level par 72 was three better than Liam & Billy’s and only 6 pairs were within 10 shots of them heading into the afternoon round. 

The afternoon scores were on average, slightly higher than the mornings. Only four teams managed to break 80. Liam & Billy from Thorpe Hall matched Wanstead’s Shinil & Josh’s 79. This meant that Thorpe Hall had the club house lead by three over Wanstead with a total of 154 (+10) to 157 (+13). This now meant that the Colchester duo of Oliver & Theo only required an 81 in the afternoon to win the trophy. After an afternoon round that included 6 bogeys & 1 double bogey, they would’ve found themselves just two shots in the lead, however the birdie on 8 and eagle up 11 meant their round of 77 was enough to take the win by an impressive 5 shots and becoming 2021 Boys Foursomes Champions.

Congratulations Theo & Oliver Baker (Colchester GC) on a five shot victory. We thank our fantastic hosts, Gosfield Lake Golf Club, their staff & members for once again making it possible to host this event and providing their usual superb hospitality. 

Essex Boys Championship 2021
28 July 2021
Frinton Golf Club

Those of a certain age might well remember British Railway posters extoling the virtues of a day out at sunny Frinton-on-Sea. Such posters are long gone and for the Boys Championship of 2021 so was the sun. In fact for most of the tournament the weather was atrocious with suspensions for electrical storms and heavy rain potentially reducing the competition to 18 holes. Fortunately the weather relented late in the day enabling the Championship to run its full course albeit finishing much later than scheduled.

The day comprised three Boys Championships; two for age groups under 18 and under 16; and a club team competition.
The score sheet tells its own story that despite the awful weather and blustery wind Thorndon Park Golf Club swept the board winning all three categories.

In the Boys Championship with two one under par rounds of 70 Charlie Croker from Thorndon Park with a score of 140 was a runaway winner by five strokes from nearest rivals Rory Bennet and Louis Vallis also from Thorndon Park with scores of 145 and Rory stealing the Runner-up spot on countback.

The under 16 category was also won by Charlie this time with Louis taking the runner-up place and Sam Epstein from Maylands getting the final podium place with a five over par total of 147. Inevitably the team title went to Thorndon Park Golf Club with a team score of plus 1 and Chelmsford’s team of Lewis Wright and Teddy Papple somewhat distant runners-up on plus 13.

Despite the weather concerns Frinton GC presented a course in great condition and the County’s thanks go to their Captain, John Harding who helped Brian Collins (Essex Golf Union President) present the prizes, the club's management, staff and members for their hospitality and use of the facilities.

Faldo Wedge 2021

Team Winners Chelmsford A ( William Wright, Rosie Boyce, Joseph Sidwell) 

with Best Gross Winner Thomas Cooper (Colne Valley)

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Essex Under 14’s Championship
Tuesday 25th August 2020
Maylands Golf Club 

The Essex Under 14 Championship returned once again to Maylands Golf Club despite the best efforts of the weather. The course was in good condition and stood up well to the heavy early morning rain and high winds that greeted the players and county officials. The Under 14’s Championship is played as a gross score stroke play competition over 18 holes, and the Fred Stillwell trophy is presented for the best nett score. 

Play commenced at 9.00am for the field of 49 players, 8 of whom were playing off handicaps of 5 or less. The early pace was set by William Bailey (Warley Park) with a 3 over par 74, a net 68 off his 6 handicap.  Edward Linley (Romford) also a 6 handicapper then submitted a gross 73, the new leader in the clubhouse with only nine players still out on the course.  His nett score of 67 equalled that of James Hallett (Burnham on Crouch). Dylan Hussey (Romford) soon matched Edward’s score of 73, just pipping Edward on countback and in so doing taking over the mantle of clubhouse leader.

In the final group to finish both Henry Styles (Romford) and Charlie Croker (Thorndon Park) both had good scores to submit. Henry had a three over par 74, and Charlie returned an exceptional 2 under par 69. Good enough to take this year’s championship by a clear 4 strokes and be crowned the 2020 Essex Under 14 Champion. Congratulations Charlie!

His 3 handicap gave Charlie a nett 66 result, which also gave him the Stillwell Trophy as the best nett score of the day, one ahead of both Edward Linley and James Hallett.  

Our thanks go to Maylands Golf Club, Maylands Golf Club staff and their members for hosting the event and offering their course for the day. We would also like to thank Steve Lowly, Immediate Past Captain of Maylands Golf Club for his assistance on the day. 

Charlie Croker with both Trophies & Runner Up Dylan Hussey

Congratulations to all those who took part and confirmed the future of Essex golf looks very promising indeed. 

Boys Championship
Wednesday 29th July 2020
Burnham on Crouch Golf Club

After months of waiting the County tournament season finally got underway on 29 July with the Essex Boys Championships taking place at a sunny and breezy Burnham on Crouch Golf Club.  With Covid local rules and distancing measures in place this created an interesting experience for players, officials and the County organisers, but it’s fair to reflect that overall it all went pretty well.

The player for whom it all went particularly well was Thorndon Park youngster Max Porteous who with a magnificent two under par morning round of 68 put a good deal of separation between himself and the rest of the field. Seven strokes better than his handicap his round containing seven birdies and he was doubtless left wondering how good his score might have been had he avoided the double bogey on the way out and three other bogies on the return journey.  At the lunch adjournment his nearest rival three strokes adrift was Upminsters’ Owen Fallows with a one over par round of 71, but again highly creditable when matched against his seven handicap.

The afternoon conditions continued to be challenging with any strokes wide of the fairway standing a good chance of finding some very penal rough.  Henry Styles from Romford proved to be the master of the post lunch session and was able to match Max Porteous’s morning round of 68 with four birdies and only two bogies. Max however was in very a determined frame of mind and his afternoon round of 71 was still good enough to hold off Henry, his nearest contender. With a gross score of 139, one stroke better than the CSS Max was a worthy winner of both the under 18 and under 16 Championships with Henry Styles Runner-Up in both categories a further four strokes adrift on 143.

Inevitably the team competition became a shootout between Thorndon Park and Romford with the former emerging as winners with a score of +7 against Romford’s +10. (The county website shows the Thorndon Park score as +3, which due to a programme fault is incorrect).

Whilst congratulations go to Max for his outstanding performance, there were equally outstanding performances from the Essex Golf Union and Burnham on Crouch Golf Club for putting in place arrangements to get this Championship off the ground in very difficult circumstances. Final thanks go to the Burnham members who added some atmosphere to the event by providing some much valued ball spotting out on the course and cheering the competitors’ home from the clubhouse balcony.

U14 Championship / Fred Stillwell Trophy
Tuesday 13thAugust 2019
Maylands Golf Club

The Under 14 Championship returned once again played to Maylands Golf Club. The course was in good condition and a field of 47 players took part. The Under 14’s Championship is played as a gross score stroke play competition, and the Fred Stillwell trophy is presented for the best nett score.

The field of 47 started at 9am and this year’s favourite was a young man by the name of Harley Smith, a plus one handicapper from The Rayleigh Club. Finn Carrick from Bentley returned with a gross score of 74 which was three better than his next competitors on 77, Pierce Mosley (Epping) & Max Porteous (Warley Park). What made Finn’s score so good was that he was a 12 handicap, resulting in a nett 62. This was 4 shots better than Stockbrook Manor’s Luke Pearson who returned a nett 66 taking second place in the Fred Stillwell Trophy. Edward Linley of Romford was third with a net 68. So Finn’s nett 62 won the Fred Stillwell Trophy but unfortunately his amazing score was just pipped by the favourite Harley Smith. His card included 4 bogeys and 2 birdies resulting in a two over par 73, good enough for this year’s championship and is now crowned the Under 14 Champion 2019. Congratulations Harley!

Our thanks go to Maylands Golf Club, Maylands Golf Club staff and their members for hosting the event and offering their course for the day. We would also like to thank Steve Lowly, Captain of Maylands Golf Club. 

Congratulations to all those who took part and confirmed the future of Essex golf looks very promising indeed. 

Boys Foursomes Championship
Wednesday 7th August 2019 
Gosfield Lake

Gosfield Lake Golf Club saw the return of The Boys Foursomes Championship, 27 pairs took part from Clubs around the county competing for the junior equivalent of the Essex foursomes Championship. A Scratch Strokeplay Championship which is played over 36 holes. 

The Weather was forecast to turn wet as the day went on, however we fortunately managed to avoid any kind of downfall despite reports it was falling in neighbouring towns. As the day went on, the weather remained dry but there were spells which saw winds pick up, making both rounds tricky and keeping the course well protected from any really good scores. Despite the winds, there were still some fine attempts from various teams in building a case for this year’s championship. Clacton’s Wilf Elliott & Harvey Bell returned a 78 (+6) tied with Boyce Hill’s Harry Wood & Kieran Gravely. Warley Park’s Max Briggs & William Bailey were one better carding a morning score of 77 and the best nett score of the day with a net 68 (-4). Finally, last year’s winner William Dove, partnered with a new team mate in Bobby Rothery-Archer came in stealing the  morning glory with a fabulous gross 73. Dropping just one shot with a total of seven birdies. After a double bogey on their first hole, they played the remaining 17 holes in one under par, magnificent golf in the circumstances.

The afternoon scores were higher with the winds picking up making club selection very difficult. Only three teams managed to break 80. Warley Park’s Duo of Max and William dropped to fourth position overall after carding their afternoon score of 83. Harry Wood & Kieran Gravely matched their morning score of 78 for a 156 total which took 3rdposition. Harvey Bell & Wilf Elliott managed a 75 in the afternoon which was a fantastic effort as it was the lowest afternoon score but it meant they finished on 153, just 3 shots shy of the winning score by defending champion William Dove and his new partner Bobby Rothery-Archer with rounds of 73 & 77 for a total 150.

Congratulations William, Bobby & Garon Park for defending the title. 

We thank our fantastic hosts, Gosfield Lake Golf Club, their staff & members for once again hosting this event and providing their usual superb hospitality

BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday 31stJuly 2019
Braintree Golf Club

The 2019 Boys Championship was hosted by Braintree Golf Club. With Rain, thunder and lightning forecasted at some stage through the day, klaxons were never far away from the officials. 

However, after a heavy downpour about an hour after everyone had made their way out onto the course, the 20-minute spell came to a halt and although the wind picked up for the morning round, the sun came out and the conditions throughout the day remained pleasant, with the Boys under 16 and under 18 Championships at stake.

The morning round is always used as a qualifier for The Justin Rose Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship hosted by Quinta do Lago, Portugal. This year, last years winner, Josh Gray (Garon Park) made an impressive start to his title defence, which, with the mixed weather conditions was a very good round of level par 70.  This means Josh qualifies for the National Leader board for The Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship which we wish him all the very best of luck with qualifying for the finals.

William Horne (Thorndon Park) was next best in the morning with a one over par 71. Then there were three on two over par 72, Chelmsford’s Carter Rowe, Clacton’s Jake Wells & Garon Park’s William Dove. Two other noticeable scores were Timmy Moncur’s (West Essex) 76 & Harvey Sullivan’s (Chelmsford) 74.

The afternoon proved to be a fantastic close to the championship with several players in contention with the afternoon conditions presenting a very scoreable course. William Dove’s afternoon round of 76 meant he finished 7thon 148 (+8). Josh Gray could only manage a 77 in the afternoon which meant his total of 147 (+7) was good enough for 6th. William Horne had 75 which matched Jakes Wells’ total of 146 finishing tied 4th.  Two shots better on 144 (+4) was Timmy Moncur’s valiant afternoon effort who shot a two under par 68 finishing in third place. The consistency of Carter Rowe shooting 72 & 71 finishing on (+3) looked to be just about good enough to win, that was until Harvey Sullivan returned one of the two under par rounds of the day finishing with a 69 (-1). This meant that Harvey and Carter were tied after 36 holes on 143 (+3). The Essex Boys Championship is one of the two events that we run in the year that relies on a playoff if there is a tie. 

A large crowd of approximately 80 spectators followed the two players and their newly appointed caddies to the 

16thtee for the playoff. Club team mates Carter and Harvey parred the short par 4 and made their way to the seventeenth. Both hit good approaches to the par 4 17th, Harvey just running onto the fringe of the green some 15 feet from the hole. Carter was more centrally positioned with a birdie opportunity from around 8 feet. Harvey putted up and narrowly missed his three and left the door open for Carter to win. Carter stepped up and coolly rolled in his birdie effort claiming the title in terrific fashion. A round of applause followed from the large crowd and handshakes were exchanged before the players embraced showing maturity and equal respect for one another.  

The Under 16 Championship which is also run on the same day saw William Horne’s impressive total of 146 (+6) claim the trophy. Congratulations to William.

Congratulations to both playoff players Harvey & Carter from Chelmsford as they also picked up the Boys Club Team Championship with an impressive total of just 6 over par 286.

(From L to R) Brian Collins, President Essex Golf Union, Harvey Sullivan (Chelmsford), Carter Rowe (Chelmsford),William Horne (Thorndon Park), Graham Brown (Braintree GC Captain)

A special thank you to Braintree Golf Club and their members for their hospitality, also to Braintree Golf Club Captain Graham Brown for his kind words and presenting the prizes to the juniors alongside Brian Collins, Essex Golf Union’s President. 

Under 12’s Championship and Brian Fuller Trophy
Thursday 25thJuly at Rivenhall Oaks Golf Club

A beautifully sunny day at Rivenhall Oaks saw temperatures hit an all-time high. Registered as the hottest day on record, temperatures proved too great for some with two players being forced to retire due to the heat. Rivenhall Oaks welcomed a field of 24 under twelve-year olds battling it out to become Essex’s Under 12 Champion. There was some fabulous golf on show scoring below their handicaps despite extremely hot conditions. 

When Clacton’s Milo Locke (Hcp22) and Romford’s Zoe McLean-Tattan (Hcp14) returned with nett 67’s, they looked to be inwith a fighting chance for the Brian Fuller Trophy. In the end they were tied 4thas Wanstead’s Joshua Nanson (Hcp33) and Lawson Bailey (Hcp28) from Bentley both returned nett 65’s to share second place. Then the score of the day from Callum Moore of P laygolf Colchester, a nett 60 off a handicap of 29 was more than enough to win the Brian Fuller Trophy by 5 shots.

The Scratch competition was for the Under 12 Championship and this year there was a clear favourite if handicaps were to be the guide. Charlie Croker of Epping Golf Club did not faulter in his round of 75 winning by a margin of 7 shots from his club and team mate Harrison Preston with a very respectable 82. One shot behind was Henry Pepper from Braintree with an 83 taking third place from Mason Birmingham of Colne Valley on countback.

We would like to thank Rivenhall Oaks Golf Club for hosting a successful event despite the scorching conditions. We would also like to thank Bill Chapman, P.G.A. Professional / Manager of Rivenhall and all of his staff on the day that helped the smooth running of the day’s proceedings. Bill also also assisted in the presenting of the prizes along with the Essex Golf Union’s President Mr Brian Collins.

Norman Garon Trust Junior Community Golf Tour

U14 OOM Division 1 - 2019

U14 OOM Division 2 - 2019

U18 OOM - 2019

Playgolf Colchester Open Sunday 16th June - Results 

The fourth event of The Norman Garon Trust Community Tour saw a field of 28 take on Playgolf Colchester, there was a diary clash with some tour participants attending <14 coaching and others involved in the Leslie Wood proper and plate rounds. Regrettably the entrants were depleted by four, with on the day withdrawals.  The weather played its part with a sudden downpour followed by occasional showers for a further hour.

The club President Mr Len Cole was on hand firstly as a starter ably assisted by Rose his wife on the other starting tee, he then distributed the prizes to the winners.

Once again Lauren Gowers from Chelmsford won the <18 event with 41 points
Second, Mia Barningham representing Colne Valley with 36 points
Third, Jake Hinton from Epping recording 34 points.

The <14 Category 1&2  saw Alanna Matthews from The Warren winning with 38 points.
Second place was taken by Oliver Baker from nearby Colchester amassing 36 points.
In third place representing Upminster in his first appearance on tour, was Owen Fallows scoring 34 points.

Finally, in the remaining <14 Category 3&4 we saw the following results.
First, Jules Hardy from Colne Valley with 40 points
Second, Rosie Boyce, another member from Chelmsford scoring 36 points
In third place with a total of 35 points, Henry Pepper out of Braintree.

Faldo Wedge
Garon Park Golf Club
Thursday 30th May 2019

Garon Park Golf Club hosted The Faldo Wedge this year with an impressive entry of 120 Juniors from all around the County. The weather proved to be kind and remained warm and dry with a strong seaside breeze at times, which proved to be a good test of golf for the entire field of boys and girls. The Faldo Wedge consists of morning and afternoon start times. Teams consist of three juniors representing their Club, with all three scores to count from 18 holes of stableford format. The mornings play saw some great golf, with Colne Valley dominating the top of the leader board, both Teams managing to get all three players scoring 

consistently. Colne Valley B managed 103 points, pipping their A team by one point on 102 points. Then, as the morning rounds were all near completion Benton Hall raised the standard, returning a combined score of 110 points, with Dominic Hoskin finishing the morning off with the best score of the day so far, 40 points. Scoring in general had been tough on the well-presented course, but the target had been set for those venturing out in the afternoon sunshine.

A long wait was in store for the two sets of Colne Valley players and the Benton Hall team as the afternoon competitors prepared to do battle. If anything, the winds did drop a little in the afternoon but still made for tough conditions for all the players as the breeze was drying out the course.

Early starters in the afternoon, Forrester Park A, managed to knock the Colne Valley teams down a place by totalling 106 points, eventually taking 3rdplace. Epping B then raised the tension in the Clubhouse with their first two scores indicating they were in the hunt, finally just falling short, returning a score of 107 points to take 

2ndplace. The Warren A also then entered the fray late on but their final total of 102 points was only good enough to split the two Colne Valley teams, finishing in 5thplace.

So, Benton Hall with a fantastic score of 110 points held on to their lead throughout the afternoon, winning the Faldo Wedge by three points. 

Benton Hall will now be representing Essex in the National Junior Club Championship later in the year at Woodhall Spa, we wish the team all the very best of luck for the event in August.

The two individual prizes on the day went to Harry Lloyd (The Warren) with 41 points, and for the girls Alanna Matthews (The Warren) with 39 points. 

Our thanks to all the Junior Organisers that do so much for junior golf in the county and to Garon Park Golf Club for hosting the event and making everyone so welcome. All the junior golfers were a credit to their Clubs.

Frinton Junior Open Sunday 26th May -  Results

Another well supported event as part of the NGT Community Tour saw 64 competing for Order of Merit points. Conditions were perfect for Links golf with a breeze testing the players, on the whole most competitors were happy with their scores on the day, none more so than Ralph Baker-Smith, (27 hcp) from Colne Valley G.C., who amassed a stunning 47 points to win his <14 Category 2 division and the tournament overall.

Other Division winners were

<14 Category 1  Dylan Hussey Romford G.C., on countback 39 points

<18 Lauren Gowers Chelmsford G.C. 41 points.

The County would like to thank Frinton G.C. for hosting the event, providing so many prizes, presenting the course in very good condition and for their all round hospitality and catering.

The two next events in the O.O.M. will be 

16/06/2019 Junior Open hosted by Playgolf Colchester.

15/07/2019 Junior Open hosted by Colne Valley G.C.

Both events can be entered by clicking this link

25th April 2019. 

The tour is now underway with events recently held at Gosfield Lake and at Colchester G.C., both venues enjoyed fine spring weather and a great turnout of entrants.

The competition is open to the following categories:-
Under 14 Division 1 for category 1&2 players
Under 14 Division 2 for category 3,4& 5 players, where applicable
Under 18 for category 3,4& 5 players, where applicable.
The tour is open to both boys and girls.

The winners at Gosfield Lake were
Under 14 Division 1. 
Louis Vallis, Thorndon Park Golf Club
Under 14 Division 2.
Luke Cursons Warley Park Golf Club
Under 18
Lauren Gowers Chelmsford Golf Club

The winners at Colchester were 
Under 14 Division 1.
Oliver Baker Colchester Golf Club
Under 14 Division 2
Owen Fallows Upminster Golf Club
Under 18
Buddy Miller Warley Park Golf

Callum Chamberlain also made a Hole in One on the 150 yard par 3, 16thhole for which he received a prize, a huge congratulations to Callum.

Colchester 15th April 2019  - Results

Gosfield Lake 10th April 2019 - Results  Results

Under 14 Community Tour 2018

Under 17 Community Golf Tour - Wanstead -  Results

Under 14 Community Golf Tour - Garon Park -  Results 

Div 1 Winner - William Horne 39 Points (Countback)
Div 1 Runner Up - Morgan Cohen 39 Points
Div 2 Winner - Mason Barningham 39 Points
Div 2 Runner Up - Henry Linley 38 Points
Girls Winner - Alanna Mathews 

Under 17 Community Golf Tour - Braintree -  Results

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U14 Championship / Fred Stillwell Trophy

Tuesday 14th August 2018, Maylands Golf Club

Scores

The Under 14 Championship returned once again played to Maylands Golf Club. The course was in good condition considering the dry summer, the weather was not as hot as it has been but the sun shone and there was no sign of rain. The Under 14’s Championship is played as a gross score stroke play competition, and the Fred Stillwell trophy is presented for the best nett score. Thirty four players from around the county set out from 9.00a.m. onwards, and a few hours later Rory Bennet (Hainault Forest) returned to set a challenging Clubhouse target. His gross score , a one under par 70 was excellent and featured 4 birdies.

William Horne’s (Thorndon Park) double bogey on his last hole was costly as he had made three birdies on that nine to get to one under after dropping two shots on his way out. Thomas Atkinson (Chigwell) & Bobby  Rothery-Archer (Garon Park) were three shots back from William on 75s. Thomas took 3rdon countback after negotiating the back nine in one under par. Rory was delighted to be crowned champion especially as this was his last year as an under 14 competitor.

In the Fred Stillwell Trophy competition, Patrick McLean-Tattan (Romford) managed a leader-board topping nett 65 as he continues his fantastic form this year which has seen his handicap plummet to a low teen figure from a mid-twenties handicap earlier in the year. Congratulations Patrick.  

The 2018 Under 14 Essex Champion golfer was Rory Bennet, with an excellent 70, and the winner of the Stillwell Trophy was Patrick McLean-Tattan with his score of nett 65.

Our thanks go to Maylands Golf Club, Maylands Golf Club staff and their members for hosting the event and offering their course for the day. We would also like to thank Bob Powley, Captain of Maylands Golf Club. Congratulations to all those who took part and confirmed the future of Essex golf looks very promising indeed. 

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BOYS FOURSOMES CHAMPIONSHIP

Wednesday 8th August 2018, Gosfield Lake

Scores

Gosfield Lake Golf Club saw the return of The Boys Foursomes Championship, 30 pairs took part from Clubs around the county to compete for the junior equivalent of the Essex foursomes Championship. A Scratch Strokeplay Championship which is played over 36 holes. 

The morning saw a bright start to the day with sunshine and a gentle breeze. As the day went on, the weather remained dry but the wind picked up which made the afternoon round slightly more challenging for the players. Gosfield had experienced a welcome drop of rain or two in the days leading up to the event which made the course play beautifully after a hot dry summer. 

The scoring conditions looked to be tough after the first few groups returned from their morning rounds, until Liam Evans & Luke King (Thorpe Hall) carded a 73 just one over par. Next best in was Conor Garvey & Jack Moutell (Playgolf Colchester) who managed a 74. Wilf Elliot & Jake Wells (Clacton) were two back on a gross 75 going into lunch.

The afternoon winds caused some difficulties with the leading groups, Conor Garvey & Jack Moutell fell down the leader-board after only managing an 88 to follow up from their 74 in the morning which left them 8thoverall. Wilf Elliot & Jake Wells also struggled to capitalise on their morning performance finishing with a total of 158 after their afternoon round of 83 saw them slip to 5th. Liam Evans & Luke King also fell to 3rdposition after an afternoon round of 82, 9 shots off their morning total. 

Orsett’s Woody Eastman & Callum Newton improved on their morning score of 79 by 4 shots, returning a 75 to clinch 2ndspot overall with a total of 154. A fantastic effort which more than deserved the runner up position in this year’s competition. Garon Park’s in-form Josh Gray, Essex Boys’ Champion, was partnering William Dove, their morning round of 77 looked pretty average at lunch, but following it up with a 74 in the afternoon which included a number of lengthy putts holed by the pair saw them climb the leader-board to take first place by 3 shots from the Orsett pairing. 

We thank our fantastic hosts, Gosfield Lake Golf Club, their staff & members for once again hosting this event and providing their usual superb hospitality. 

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BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wednesday 1st August 2018

Scores

The 2018 Boys Championship was held at Rochford Hundred Golf Club in glorious conditions with a gentle breeze blowing to help cool conditions throughout the day, with the Boys under 16 and under 18 Championships at stake.

With a busy schedule around the country this particular week, we had a drop in entries compared to the past few years. A field of just 40 players were scheduled to play the excellently presented course.

The morning round is always used as a qualifier for The Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship hosted by PGA Catalunya. This year a 7 handicapper lead the way at the half way stage. Conor Garvey (Playgolf Colchester) had a fantastic start to the championship. Having had very little sleep after returning on a delayed flight from Ireland the night before, Conor managed to return a score which consisted of five birdies and just three birdies for a total of two under par for an opening 69. This means Conor qualifies for the National Leader board for The Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship which we wish him all the very best of luck with qualifying for the finals.

 The next best score in was from Josh Gray (Garon Park) who managed a level par 71 which consisted of four birdies and four bogeys. Rory Bennet (Hainault Forest) also had a level par 71, thankful to the 5 birdies that he managed, despite a double bogey on his penultimate hole. Harvey Sullivan (Abridge) & Patrick Arundel (Boyce Hill) both returned at lunch time having secured a solid start to their events with a pair of 72’s securing 4th position going into the afternoon round.

One of the favourites for the competition was Chelmsford’s Michael Gilbert, his opening 77 made it difficult to fight back as he was 8 shots off the lead at lunch but his level par 71 in the afternoon secured second position in the event overall so a great effort after a disappointing morning round finishing on 148 (+6). Unfortunately, the lack of sleep must have played a part in Conor Garvey’s afternoon round, his 82 saw him slip to 9th position overall. Harvey Sullivan followed up his 72 in the morning with a 77, which he was disappointed with yet still sufficient for tied 3rd on 149 (+7).

The two others that finished on 149 with Harvey, were Callum Newton (Orsett) & Jake Wells (Clacton).

Josh Gray managed to limit the amount of dropped shots on the day to 3, finishing with a 74 in the afternoon to win the Essex Boys Championship by 3 shots from Michael Gilbert. Congratulations Josh on your victory, becoming Essex Boys Champion 2018.

The Under 16 Championship which is also run on the same day saw Jake Wells’ impressive total of 149 pick up the trophy. Congratulations to Jake.

Congratulations to Harvey Sullivan & Lewis Wright who won the Essex Boys Team Prize on behalf of Abridge Golf Club, finishing with a total of 299 (+15).

A special thank you to Rochford Hundred Golf Club and their members for their hospitality, also to Rochford Hundred Golf Club Past Captain Marshall Dale for being present, not only starting but also for presenting the prizes to the juniors along with Roger Walmsley, Essex Golf Union’s President.

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Under 14 Community Golf Tour - Brentwood - Results

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Under 12’s Championship and Brian Fuller Trophy

Thursday 26th July at Braxted Park

A beautifully sunny day at Braxted Park saw a field of 25 under twelve year olds battling it out to become Essex’s Under 12 Champion. There was no lack of quality in the field with most players scoring below their handicaps despite extremely hot conditions.

Alexander Oddy finishing 6th with an 81 playing of a handicap of 20 was just one of those examples. Another notable score was from Oliver Baker (Colchester) shooting 80 off his 17 handicap to finish 5th overall after countback. Charlie Croker (Epping) returned a score of 80 to secure 4th on countback. Pierce Mosely (Epping) was the lowest handicapper in the field and his 78 was enough to secure 3rd place losing to Bailee Taylor (Colne Valley) on countback. Bailee managed a phenomenal score of 78 and playing of a handicap of 23 will see his handicap reduce dramatically following such a great result. Dylan Hussey (Romford) was one of the early starters but his impressive 75 off of an 11 handicap, meant he was in for a long wait. That wait I’m sure he will agree was well worth it, being crowned U12 Champion of Essex for 2018.

The scoring overall was impressive and all the players should be applauded for their efforts and their behaviour on and off the course.

We thank Braxted Park Golf Club and all of their staff and members for their outstanding hospitality. The manner in which they presented their course was magnificent and we are sure that many that visited will return in the near future due to the feedback we received from players and their parents.

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Under 14 Community Golf Tour - Three Rivers - Results

Under 14 Community Golf Tour - Colne Valley -  Results

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England Golf
South Eastern Group 2018 Junior Championships
Moor Park Golf Club, 29th May

The 2018 South East Junior Championship event was weather affected this year, with torrential rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon reducing the event to 18 holes from the planned 36-hole competition. The overall competition over a challenging Moor Park course also incorporates an under 16 category.

Essex boys featured prominently in the results, with Michael Gilbert (Chelmsford) taking 2nd place in the overall championship and Harry Moncur (Abridge) finishing 4th.

In the under 16’s event, Rory Bennet (Hainault Forest) finished in a creditable joint 3rd place.

 Scores

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Faldo Wedge
Canons Brook Golf Club, 31 May 2018

Canons Brook Golf Club hosted The Faldo Wedge this year with a maximum entry of 144 Juniors from all around the County. The weather forecast threatened storms so Klaxons were at the ready, however, the morning players set out on time on a very well presented course which proved to be a good test of golf for all players.

The Faldo Wedge consists of morning and afternoon start times. Teams consists of three juniors representing their Club, with all three scores to count from 18 holes of stableford format. The mornings play saw some great golf, with Chigwell Golf Club taking the lunch time lead with a team total of 109 points consisting of Harry Ioannou (38pts), Thomas Atkinson (37pts) & Maura Burns-Zaragoza (34pts). Next best were Playgolf Colchester & Bentley on 106 points and Langdon Hills a further point back on 105.

The afternoon saw a continuation of good scoring, which meant it would be a long tense wait for Chigwell. The first tee time of the afternoon consisted of Stoke by Nayland Golf Club’s Sam Nixon (39pts), Harry English (39pts) & Max Toombs (33pts) who managed a leader board topping 111 points. This meant Chigwell slipped to second place but still with plenty of teams to come in. Thorpe Hall Golf Club’s A & B Teams were next in with their Team B managing to match the leading score of 111 points with a team of girls, Millie May-Penfold (41pts), Abbie Webb (40pts) & Emily Dixon (30pts) just losing out to Stoke by Nayland on Countback. However, 

Millie May-Penfold’s 41 points was enough to pip Ciara Rushmer (Langdon Hills) on countback for the best individual girl’s score. Congratulations to both girls on excellent performances, a well-deserved handicap reduction will be in store.

The day, however, belonged to Thorpe Hall A, consisting of last years winners, Ali-Abbas Haji, Luke King & Max Webb. The team managed to achieve a four point victory with 115 points. The big score coming from Ali-Abbas with 46 points, which was best individual boys score on the day. Luke managed 35 points and Max followed it up with 34. Not only have Thorpe Hall successfully defended the title they won last year, but they did it with the same team. Congratulations to all three boys.

Thorpe Hall will now be representing Essex in the National Junior Club Championship later in the year, we wish the team all the very best of luck for the event in August. Fortunately the day was not interrupted as we managed to avoid all the storms crossing the south east region from the near continent.

Our thanks to all the Junior Organisers that do so much for junior golf in the county and to Canons Brook Golf Club for hosting the event and making everyone so welcome.

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Under 14 Community Golf Tour - Frinton - Results

Under 17 Community Golf Tour - Boyce Hill - Results

Under 17 Community Golf Tour - Frinton - Results

Under 14 Team Manager Bill Dunbar presenting Max Toombs of Stoke by Nayland
with the Winners prize at Frinton Golf Club.

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Under 14 Community Golf Tour - Gosfield - Results