GG at the races…
George Makes It Four as ACGA Brings the Heat to Aldwickbury
The ACGA returned to action for Major 2 of the season on Friday 1st May at Aldwickbury Park Golf Club, and with the hottest day of the year so far greeting the field, it was always going to be a test of both patience and performance.
With the sun beating down and competitive spirits rising just as quickly, the stage was set for another strong showing from the ACGA membership. And once again, it was a familiar name at the top. George Grant secured his 4th Major victory in the society with a composed and calculated round, built on five net birdies and the kind of control we’ve come to expect from him. In true ACGA fashion, George also showed a touch of what we’ll politely call “strategic awareness”, with a tidy triple bogey 7 on the final hole, just to make sure everything stayed nicely balanced once the win was safely in the bag. Nothing to see here!! 😉. Behind him, the leaderboard was tightly contested. Raf Roberts took 2nd place with a strong round, followed by Fiona Dunning in 3rd, continuing to make her presence felt early in the season. Steve Garner and Gerry Anderson rounded out the top five in 4th and 5th respectively, both navigating the heat and conditions with solid performances.
Guests & New Faces
We were pleased to welcome a small group of guests to Major 2 at Aldwickbury, each getting a taste of ACGA competition on a hot and testing day. Yomi Gbadamosi impressed with 34 points, closely followed by Daya Osuntogun with 31 points, both putting in strong performances on debut. O’Neil Howell also joined us, posting 26 points and experiencing again what an ACGA Major is all about. On the membership front, congratulations to Gerry Daley, who played his first event as a fully fledged member, returning a very respectable 32 points. A solid start to life as an official member.
The Blob-o-meter Strikes Again
The Blob-o-meter was in full effect once again, tracking every misstep, duff chip, and “what club was that?” moment throughout the day. For the uninitiated, a blob is what happens when a hole goes so wrong that even Stableford gives up on you! Each one adds £1 to the charity pot, with a minimum donation of £5, because at ACGA, even your bad golf has to do some good. Presiding over proceedings, as always, was our very own Blob-Master Steve Garner, who took great joy in announcing each player’s contribution like a seasoned auctioneer, somehow managing to increase both the charity pot and the membership embarrassment levels at the same time.
New for this season is the introduction of the “Teenager Award”, reserved for anyone failing to score above 19 points. The logic, if you’re still in your teens, you’re not old enough for alcohol, so it’s a bottle of coke for you. Step forward Handicap Secretary Frank Baptiste, who embraced the honour with admirable grace after posting only 19 points ALL DAY! A bottle of coke in one hand, dignity, just about, in the other, and an extra £5 donation to the pot for good measure. Meanwhile, Roger Goddard, making his long-awaited return, flirted dangerously with teenage territory before narrowly escaping with 21 points. A close call, and a quiet sigh of relief no doubt.
All told, a fantastic £295 was raised, supporting our usual charities. Poor golf has never done so much good.
Conditions & Closing Thoughts
The greens, having been treated in the days leading up to the event, were running slowly, but crucially, they were the same for everyone, so any any complaints were swiftly filled into the "Tell someone who cares" recycling bin! Two Majors in, and the season is already shaping up nicely. New faces are making an impression, established names are rising, and standards remain high. Surrey National awaits on 5th June but for now George Grant makes it four and establishes himself as the man to beat. 🏆