Junior Open

32 players took part in the annual Junior Open today sponsored by S&J Communications Ltd and Newbury Golf Centre. The weather was generally bright, but with a blustery south-westerly wind, conditions were not that easy. Despite this there was some fantastic scoring.

In the gross category, last years champion Luke Williams from Frilford Heath successfully defended the title with a superb gross 69. Runner-up was decided on card count-back with Dillan Polley from Goring & Streatley just beating Austin Stone from Donnington Valley - both carded gross 72. Full result - click here.

Best nett on the day was Dominique Bailey from Donnington Grove with nett 62 beating brother Matthew Bailey with nett 64. Third place went to Joshua Gilbert nett 66 from Newbury & Crookham. Full result - click here.

Full list of prize winners - click here.

Junior Pro-Am

This is the first time I have played in a Pro-Am. I was very nervous being a 17 handicap playing with Curtis Macgeever 5 hcp, Conor Dick 5 hcp and Nick Mitchell. It was great to watch golf played so well and to have your team put you at ease. I managed to help out on a few holes so was more than happy to pick up my winners prize. I said to Nick it was the quietest round I ever played, he said it was one of his nosiest. I felt like I was meeting the Top Gear presenters and turning up in my Milk Float!! What a great day - the course is looking really good now and I look forward to more Pro-Ams and next years.
John Butcher.

Captains and Past Captain's lunch

We had a fantastic private box at the racecourse on Saturday 24th October.
A good laugh was had by all who attended with great food as well for lunch. This years date was at short notice but we hope to go for the same date next year so a call to all past Captains to mark this in your diaries. A big thank you to Lorraine & Nick for arranging this and to Stephen Higgins for letting us have the box.
John Butcher.

Junior Half-Term Golf Clinic

Newbury Golf Centre

JUNIOR HALF-TERM GOLF CLINIC

with PGA Professionals

NIGEL HART & TIM BUTLER

Thursday 29th October 2009

9:30 to 1:00

£20.00 Per Person

All Abilities Welcome

Please Email or Tel 01635 551464
To Book Your Place

A Hat Trick for NRGC Ladies

In the months of April to October inclusive The English Women's Golfing Association awards a silver Rose Spoon for the best nett score in any stroke competition in relation to the LGU scratch score of the course for each handicap division. This year, NRGC ladies have been awarded 3 Rose Spoons which makes it sound easy but remember these scores have to be the best in the whole of England for that month!! Congratulations to the following stars:

Sandra Chamberlain with a gross 85/nett 59 winning June’s Division 3 with -12
Sam Whiting with a gross 80/nett 63 winning August’s Division 2 with -8
Kim Richardson with 51 stableford points winning September’s Division 3 with -14

October Four-ball

The October Four-ball was played today in near perfect conditions (albeit a little chilly early on!). Thirty pairings competed and the scoring was excellent considering all players were off 3/4 handicap.
The deserved winners were brothers Aaron and George Stockley with a fantastic 47 points. Just one point behind on 46 points were Mum and Son duo Fay and Jack Unsworth.
Third place on 44 points went to "four-ball specialists" Rowland Barnfield and Nick Powell.

Competition is tough - if you didn't get at least 40 points you weren't in the top 15 places !!!!
Full result - click here.

October Weekday Stableford

Seventeen players competed in this month's Weekday Stableford.
The winner was Sam Whiting with a commendable 39 pts.
Andy Stockley was runner-up on 37 points with Harry Upton just beating Paul Seymour on card count-back for third place, both on 36 points.
Full result - click here.

New Bearwood Match

A team from Bearwood visited NRGC today to play in an "experimental" mixed match. They enjoyed our course and company very much and would like to play a home and away fixture each year.
We had to contend with the rain today, but it did not deter from the fun and competition that we had. Newbury Racecourse went on to win 7-0 with great compliments about the course from both teams.
We are all looking forward to playing Bearwood next year. A big thank you to Fay and Andy from Bearwood for getting these fixtures started.
John Butcher (Club Captain).

NRGC support for NBCS

On Thursday 8th October, World Sight Day, outgoing Club Captain Paul Seymour attended a champagne reception in London's Pall Mall to present a cheque for £1225-00 for his chosen charity, The National Blind Children's Society. Chief executive Carolyn Fullard received the cheque and extended her thanks for all the support and effort from NRGC members.

The NBCS was founded in 1995 to help support children and young people who are visually impaired, with over 24,000 registered children in the UK. The NBCS ensure children achieve both educational and recreational goals by providing five key services.
Family Support and Information
Custom Large Print Books
Recreational Activities
ICT & Specialist Equipment
Educational Advocacy

All donations received from the General Public allow Carolyn and her team to fulfil the special requirements that are required for the Charity to continue further as no statutory funding is received.
More information is available on the web by clicking on http://www.nbcs.org.uk/

NRGC put their 'Feet First'

Wendy, Allison, myself and Sian ventured up north to Blackpool this week to present last year's charity 'Feet First' with their cheque.
Staying over at Herons' Reach, we also managed to play 27 holes on the Peter Alliss designed course. The first round was played in brilliant sunshine. Unfortunately, on the second day the round had to be abandoned after 9 holes due to a torrential downpour! We then piled into Sian's truck to make the journey home. This proved far from easy due to extensive roadworks and crazy continental lorry drivers
All in all, it was a fantastic couple of days and the charity were extremely grateful for our donation of £1186.98 - thanks to you all for your support of this cause.
Fay (ex-lady captain).

Pictured - Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Steve Mannion receiving our donation alongside Malawian nurse Mercy Nkhalamba.

October Senior Medal

Thirty Five competitors (30 gentlemen and 5 ladies) braved the elements today to compete in the October Senior Medal. The earlier starters were more fortunate than the others as the rain came later in the day.

The gold medal for Men goes to this years Edward Pearce Trophy winner Tom Wallin with a very respectable nett 68. Runner-up and silver medal winner was Tony Grove with 78 nett 69 the lowest gross of the day. Third place went to Harry Jackson with nett 71.
Full result - click here.

Congratulations to Jan Hinks the winner of the Senior Ladies medal (her first medal!) with a nett 78. Runner-up was Linda Vale with nett 80. Third was Judy Willson who carded the lowest gross in the Ladies section.
Full result - click here.

Mixed Open

Thirty four mixed pairs from fifteen different golf clubs competed in this years event some coming from as far away as Bristol. None were disappointed with great conditions and the scoring was very high.
Top team were Steve Bonner (NRGC) and Linda Alexander (West Berks) with an impressive 48 pts better-ball score including a hole-in-one at the par three sixteenth for Linda.

Second place went to Sean Sargeant and Janice Paulin one shot back on 47 pts, a round that included eight birdies for the pair from Donnington Grove.
Third was a much closer affair with three pairs all from NRGC tied on 45 pts, John Graham and Lizzy Swallow taking it on countback from Richard and Cilla Osgood and Mark France and Shey Walder.
Longest drives went to John Bowness & Jan Crook for the visitors, and Roger Tillett & Shey Walder for NRGC. Nearest the pin prizes went to Linda Alexander (hole-in-one) and Russell Bowers.
Full result - click here

October Medal

In very blustery and challenging conditions, the October medal was played today.

Division 1
Despite the difficult conditions, Andy Stockley carded a superb 75 (the lowest gross of the day) to win the top division with a nett 67. Another good performance from Carl McCartney (79 nett 68) saw him take the runners-up spot with Malcolm Bonner in third place with 82 nett 70.
In the final medal of the year for the Owen Millennium Trophy, a gross 76 from George Stockley was enough to move him to the top of the table and secure the winners spot from Andy Steadman.
Full medal result - click here
Owen Millennium result - click here

Division 2
John Baron took the honours in Div 2 with 86 nett 67 from Rowland Barnfield who also shared the lowest gross 86 but nett 70. Third was Ian Turner with 90 nett 73.
Full result - click here

Division 3
Trevor Mortimer won the Div 3 medal (his third this year!!) with a lowest gross of 88 nett 68 beating last month's Div 3 winner Mike Lucey (93 nett 68) on card count-back. Third was Peter Turner with 94 nett 72.
Full result - click here

Ladies
Sarah Purvis won her first medal today in the Ladies section with 103 nett 69 and earned a 3-shot handicap reduction for her pains. Runner-up was outgoing Lady Captain Fay Unsworth with the lowest gross in the Ladies division 82 nett 71. In third place was new Lady Vice Captain Maria Tillett with 95 nett 73.
Full result - click here