OD vs OT Golf Day

Click on photos to enlarge

l-r: Zandy MacDonald (F, 2007), Doug Mallett (M, 2007), Alex Price (M, 2008), Steve Suckling (F, 1976), Greg Baldwin (O, 1975) and Robert Simpson (S, 1968)

Considered one of the toughest courses in England, the Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Course (Old Course) is not for the faint hearted. Undaunted by its reputation, our golfing warriors, resplendent in their OD livery, teed off there against the Old Tonbridgians last Sunday and acquitted themselves rather well. Under the inspiring leadership of Alex Price, Robert Simpson, Zandy MacDonald, Doug Mallett, Greg Baldwin and Steve Suckling, took on the cream of Tonbridge School Old Boys. A barnstorming first round in which the ODs came out well on top was followed by a prematurely celebratory lunch which somewhat took the edge off their afternoon's play. The OTs were allowed back in the game and narrowly emerged as worthy winners 4½-3½.

The team warm-up consisted of athlete-strength black coffee, high-impact sugar drinks, bacon-butties and some tentative putting:

Tomos Lavery (OT), Doug Mallett, Alex Price, Steve Suckling and Chris Pettman (OT)

l-r: Doug Mallett, Alex Price, Steve Suckling, Ali Taylor (OT) and Chris Pettman (OT)

Tony Monteuuis (OT Golfing Society Secretary), Robert Simpson and David Walsh (OT Chairman and former Tonbridge Second Master)

Last minute instructions from the captain were greeted first with incredulity and then mirth:

Greg Baldwin and Alex Price

But then battle commenced:

Left: Alex Price and Zandy MacDonald; right: Doug Mallett and Fraser Yarnold (OT)

Tomos Lavery (OT) and Alex Price

l-r: Doug Mallett, Fraser Yarnold (OT) and Greg Baldwin

Tony Monteuuis (OT) and Robert Simpson

The rough was rough and we might have got around quicker using the little chap in the lower photo!

Doug Mallet and Ed Dickinson (OT)

A portent of things to come: Ali Taylor (OT) ahead of Doug Mallett and Zandy MacDonald across the heather

Marching as to war. Top: Alex Price, Tony Monteuuis (OT), Ali Taylor (OT) and Robert Simpson
Bottom: Greg Baldwin, David Walsh (OT), Fraser Yarnold (OT) and Zandy MacDonald

Top: David Walsh (OT), Greg Baldwin, Zandy MacDonald and Alex Blain (OT)
Bottom: Ed Dickinson (OT), Doug Mallett and Fraser Yarnold (OT)

The fairways. Top: Greg Baldwin, Steve Suckling,David Reich (OT) and Tomos Lavery (OT)
Bottom: Robert Simpson, Tony Monteuuis (OT) and Alex Price

Pre-lunch - and lunch - drinks might have been the beginning of the end for the OD team who went a little off the boil during the afternoon session. OTs proved to be every bit as as competitive in the Club Bar as they were on the fairways with the ODs more than holding their own.

Steve Suckling, Zandy MacDonald, Ali Taylor (OT), Alex Blain (OT), Tomos Lavery (OT) and Alex Price

Left: David Reich (OT) and Greg Baldwin. Right: Tony Monteuuis (OT), David Walsh (OT), Robert Simpson, David Reich (OT) and Greg Baldwin

Doug Mallett, Ali Taylor (OT), Zandy MacDonald, Fraser Yarnold (OT), Greg Baldwin (obscured), Tony Monteuuis (OT), Robert Simpson, Ed Dickinson (OT), David Reich (OT), David Walsh (OT, obscured), Alex Price, Steve Suckling and Tomos Lavery (OT)

In a short thank-you speech during lunch at which he presented the OTs with a copy of Richie Ryall's  A Brush with Bishops, Alex, on behalf of the team, expressed his appreciation to the OTs and in particular, David Walsh (Chairman of the OTs and former Second Master of Tonbridge, and a great friend of Bishops) and Tony Monteuuis (the OT Golfing Society secretary) for a wonderful day of friendship and fun. David Walsh replied for the OTGS and was very complimentary about Bishops -  and our golfing too.

Alex battling to gain control of the crowd

The red circle marks a possible explanation for the sharp post-lunch drop-off in performance. Ali Taylor (OT), Doug Mallett and Zandy MacDonald

It was a joy and a privilege to be at the Royal Ashdown Forest Club

And, as advertised on the OT Golfing Society web page (yes, they have one, ODU!) this year, we hope to be back on it next year.

This was how the match was reported on their website on Monday 13th July:

"A first ever match between OTGS and the Old Diocesans (the UK based alumni of Bishop's in Cape Town) took place at Royal Ashdown on Sunday 12 July and resulted in a narrow win for the OTs. 36 holes at Ashdown was a hard test for the older OTs, especially when there was much trampling around in the heavy rough in search of balls which generally remained lost. Luckily five under-25s were in our team, with the energy to sustain us, helped by a few Peronis in their golf bags. In the morning only David Walsh and Alex Blain won their match (interesting combination one or two of Alex's contemporaries suggested) and we went into lunch 3-1 down. However the afternoon saw an almost complete reversal. David Reich and Tomos Lavery halved their game, and there were wins for Walsh and Tony Monteuuis, Blain and Fraser Yarnold, and Ed Dickinson and Ali Taylor. Bishops also had quite a youthful side, including one current Oxford rugby blue in Xander MacDonald, and the match was played in a convivial but competitive atmosphere. All agreed it was a day to repeat in 2016, perhaps as a four ball better ball next time".


We look forward to next year's match which takes place at the RAC course on Sunday 10th July, 2016. 

The ODU's thanks to everyone for a great day of golf. And our huge appreciation to the OTGS, especially Tony Monteuuis and David Walsh. And of course to Alex Price who put in so much  work to make this happen.