2021 saw the Society’s fixture list slightly reduced by lockdown and other restrictions, however, from May onwards we held all our fixtures and a couple of early season team events were even re-scheduled to September.
Team events
The Society had its most successful year since the 1980s with two first ever wins. The Birkdale Bucket, held at Moortown instead of Woodhall Spa, saw Stowe win for the first time since the competition started in 1957. Excellent scores from Nick Rice (Lyttelton 71) (who also won the over 65s prize), David Sabberton (Temple 62) and Nick Luddington (Chatham 78) saw Stowe finish two points ahead of Oundle. Stowe also won the Dick Watson Trophy at Aldeburgh against 15 other schools in October with Jeremy Scowsill (Temple 76), William Hill (Grenville 75), Nigel Wright (Chatham 78) and Ollie Carr (Grafton 05) in the successful team.
Stowe missed out on qualifying for the Grafton Morrish finals by one point and lost in the first round of the postponed Halford Hewitt with a team that included five players making their debut (three of them 2019 leavers), two returning after a gap of 25 years and Stowe’s first father and son pairing of Julian (Walpole 84) and Toby (Chandos 20) Stocks.
Meetings
The Spring Meeting at Woking was postponed to August and was then rained off. A well-attended Summer Meeting took place at Aldeburgh with Matt Bazeley (Lyttelton 92) winning the Buchanan Trophy and John da Silva (Temple 87) achieving the best Stableford score. In the Foursomes, Matt Bazeley and Ollie Carr won the Choyce Tankards and Nigel Wright and Nick Luddington scored 35 points to win the Chatham Cups (50+).
The Autumn Meeting at Brancaster saw Tim Maynard (Chatham 79) and Francis Law (Chatham 80) beat Jim Marshall Andrew (Bruce 92) and John da Silva to win the Lucas Langley Foursomes while Matt Bazeley and Tim Maynard shared the Scratch Salver and the St Andrews Putter. In a repeat of 2020, Jim Marshall Andrew won the Nigel Chittenden Stableford Cup and Nigel Wright the Piper Salver for over 50s.
Matches
The Society had wins against the Templars, Downside and Aldeburgh GC but lost to Canford, Haileybury and a very strong School team.
Even more young golfers wanted
Although a record number of leavers (13) since 2012 played in 2021, the Society would like even more young golfers, male and female, of all standards to play in our 20+ fixtures held at some of the best courses in the country including Royal St Georges, Deal, Woodhall Spa, Sunningdale, Woking, New Zealand, Aldeburgh, Hunstanton, Worplesdon, Little Aston and Formby.
The year ahead
Hopefully William Hill’s second year as Captain of the Society will see all our fixtures taking place. There will be further work with Andrew Hancox, Director of Golf, to develop links between the Society, School and Stowe Golf Club. We are also planning several Centenary Celebration events for 2023.
While new First Team Captain, Matt Bazeley (mpbazeley@hotmail.com), would like to hear from low handicap players who wish to play in the prestigious Halford Hewitt and Grafton Morrish teams, players of all standards, eras, male and female, are welcome at all our matches and meetings taking place at some fantastic courses.
If anyone wants to know more about the Society, please look at the Old Stoic section of the Stowe website, Stowe Connect, our Facebook page or contact the Secretary, Peter Simmons (Cobham 69) pjgsimmons@gmail.com or 07957 141826.
Peter Simmons (Cobham 69)