Fitzwilliam Golf Society

A small group of Fitz golfers took the opportunity of a warm up round on the day prior to the East Anglia Tour. Martin Dinkele kindly hosted us at his home club – Newton Green GC, just outside Sudbury.

Travelling proved difficult for several of our number with accidents causing motorway delays. Matt Hignell’s tour started badly with a flat tyre a few hundred yards from home so had a delayed start. But most of us arrived at Newton Green in time for a pleasant lunch on the clubhouse terrace.

The club started as a nine hole course on the village green using the nearby Saracen’s Head as a clubhouse. Nine new holes were added in 1994 but the back nine is largely the original course on mature heathland common crossed by several minor roads and footpaths. Martin had engaged a fellow member, Colin Hunt, to play with and kindly guide the second group. The advice of the two local members was frankly essential to guide us round this absorbing part of the course. As the sun started to go down on a glorious and cloudless Spring day, we weaved across the common, with varying degrees of success, experiencing English golf as it used to be.

For the record, the leading scores were:-

Martin Dinkele 35 points

Gavin Dolling 33 points

Colin Dunkerley 31 points

We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the weather

With the clubhouse closed, we made our way to our hotel in Ipswich, meeting tour organiser, Mike Hamment. General exhaustion levels dictated a quiet meal in the hotel after a few drinks.

Our early arrival in Ipswich meant we had some spare time the following morning. So. in the time homoured tradition of Fitz golf tours, Mike Hamment led us on a walk around Ipswich Waterfront. Ipswich Docks date back to the 7^th century. In the reign of Edward III, Ipswich was one of the richest and most important ports in the country, but declined steadily because of silting and later competition from the sea facing port of Harwich. The Waterfront area has been reinvented as a tourist destination around a marina, the University of Suffolk and leisure facilities. A relaxed coffee in the sunshine rounded off the morning.

Then we set off for the short drive to Purdis Heath, Ipswich GC for the main day of the tour.

Colin Dunkerley, Secretary and Tourist