Fitzwilliam Golf Society

This was our first visit to Ellesborough GC – a picturesque course near Wendover and also very close to Chequers. It is located on the Chiltern Escarpment and is dominated by Coombe Hill on which stands the impressive monument erected after the Boer War. The monument is the highest point for many miles around and on the sloping greens, the local adage to ‘putt towards the monument’ is invariably sound advice.

15 of us were joined by 3 guests for our Society Day, and we had the bonus of a very pleasant day’s weather. Situated on the edge of the Chilterns, a few miles south of Aylesbury, there were large areas of cowslips on the course, adding to its beauty, and most of the holes had very sloping and fast greens. Several of the group experienced their putts rolling right off the green!

The golf was primarily a team competition, with 2 scores counting at each hole. The winning group was Jon Prichard, Stuart Lester and Andrew Garden. In second place came Matt Hignell, Alan Day and Clive Makin and third were Mike Hamment and his two guests.

The best individual score of 35 was achieved by one of our guests, Bob Scott, with Clive Makin scoring 34 and Mike Hamment and Harry Coe both 33.

For the feature holes, Clive Makin, playing in the first group, managed to get his name on the sheet for nearest the pin on the 3 par threes, as well as the nearest in two shots at the par 4 11th hole. Fortunately, while he was not beaten on the 8th or the 11th, Jon Prichard was closest on the 10th and Brian Smith on the 16th. The longest drive prize was won by Nigel Smethers.

We were well looked after by the Club, enjoyed a great day’s golf and a good meal, and the general view was that Ellesborough was a course to which we should return sometime.

Brian Smith, Match Organiser