The enduring contests between the ORGS and Royal Porthcawl resumed on 2nd & 3rd September in windy but otherwise temperate conditions.
This year the size of the match again increased to become 12 a side with the diehard ORGS team of Jock Fraser, Colin Passmore, Christopher Gabbey, Tim Watts, Antony Aitken, Rob Prior, John Newton, Bertie Garforth-Bles and Nick Hills being augmented by Charles Maisey and Charles Walker. Nine of us stayed in the dormy house, where Prior and Fraser continued happily to bond, and three stayed in the nearby Rose & Crown.
It will be recalled that selection for this fixture follows a “dead man’s shoes” policy and this year’s team (so long as it behaves which it just about did) gets picked for next year. Drop-outs, however, at the match manager’s discretion may fall to the bottom of the waiting list. That said, there must be a strong case for dropping the match manager whose golf was disgraceful.
The golf was not easy. The course was in fine condition with true but slow greens; but we soon appreciated what a difficult test it is with a fairly strong wind and very cruel rough. Porthcawl is a great test of golf with some spectacular holes and with the sea visible from all 18.
Nonetheless both rounds were highly competitive; and the ORGS came out equal both after the first round and in the final result. A tied match – 6 matches all. Aitken and Walker “brought home the bacon”. Indeed, on the first afternoon Aitken “aced” the seventh hole and consequently made a generous contribution to subsequent activities at the bar.
Our hosts entertained us regally starting with a sandwich lunch with plenty of wine (and a supplement of post prandial Kümmel) and a very enjoyable dinner in the evening which was again enhanced by some fine singing by Peter Owen, the home team’s leader. Our Captain responded as best we can, without singing the Floreat, by making a speech which was both funny and (for him) reasonably concise.
After dinner (at which in accordance with ORGS practice we bought the wine) there was the usual refreshment in that wonderful panelled bar and mirabile dictu the entire ORGS team survived without any broken limbs and managed to traverse (or to tack) its way across the car park to the dormy house where there were no serious complaints about snoring. A highlight of Tuesday morning was a brace of exceptional Moscow Mules imbibed by the usually abstemious Vice-President and the match manager.
This is a wonderful match which is always the greatest fun. Our opponents are both charming and singularly hospitable and the club is by any standards exceptionally welcoming. It is a golfing paradise.
The 2020 date is fixed – Monday 7th & Tuesday 8th September – and the dormy rooms duly booked. Roll on 2020!
Nick Hills
FIXTURES
June 2022
Wednesday 22nd
Public Schools Meeting
Little Aston Golf Club
Thursday 30th
Bernard Darwin Trophy
Woking Golf Club
July 2022
Friday 1st
Bernard Darwin Trophy
Woking Golf Club
August 2022
Wednesday 10th
Northern Meeting
Hollinwell Golf Club
Wednesday 17th
Match v OUGS
Luffenham Heath
Sunday 21st
Match v Malvern
The Berkshire
September 2022
Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th
Match v Royal Porthcawl
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club
Friday 9th & Saturday 10th
Autumn Meeting & AGM
Rye Golf Club
October 2022
Wednesday 5th
Match v LVGA
Burhill Golf Club
Friday 7th - Sunday 9th
Grafton Morrish Finals
Hunstanton & Royal West Norfolk
Saturday 29th
Match v The Meteors
Royal St. George's
REGISTER
November 2022
Tues 15th & Wed 16th
Match v Porthcawl
Rye & Royal St. George's
December 2022
Monday 5th
Advent Meeting
Burnham & Berrow
March 2023
Wednesday 29th
Match v London Solicitors
New Zealand Golf Club
Thursday 30th - Sunday 2nd
Halford Hewitt
Royal St George's &
Royal Cinque Ports
April 2023
Tues 25th & Wed 26th
Match v RND
Royal North Devon
May 2023
Thursday 11th
Spring Meeting
Huntercombe Golf Club