Gentlemen
Well, as I was warned by many a wise past captain of the Association, this year has flown by. However, it definitely has been an enjoyable one, made more so by the welcome support from both the committee and our members.
ABGC may be a relatively small association compared to some that we play against but we generally punch above out weight. So, I am pleased to report that our team has had something of a record year in 2025, winning 8 of our 12 inter-counties matches, well played everyone. I’m sure Rod will be happy to accept the challenge of doing even better next year.
In the 4 Counties matches, we were 2nd to Oxfordshire (on their home soil) in the Southern tournament, and 3rd in the Northern competition, again the winners were on a home course. However, next year we are hosting the 4 Counties South at Hazlemere, so we have a chance for a better result!
The year was ended with the Autumn Meeting held at the ever challenging Dunstable Downs with all its vast vistas. The winner on the day was our very own Secretary, Peter Short, despite him having the longest journey to get there.
Henri Botha was runner up, and the ever reliable Tony Jeffries took third place. The day was made even more memorable with Henri getting a hole in one on the tricky ninth hole.
A few other statistics from this season:
The member who played in the most events in 2025 (excluding myself as Captain of course) was Vice Captain Rod Jones, closely followed by Tony Jeffries, and John Pettitt.
Ten members played in at least ten events, so we are supported by a relatively small core, however 68 different members played in at least one event, so there is a fair bit of mixing, although I would encourage more members to get involved if they can.
Finally, I’d like to say is thank you again for choosing me as Captain for 2025. Particular thanks go to all the Committee members who do so much during the year to keep the association running, and to all the Match Managers, who made the matches run so smoothly. Unlike some other countries that we played, we always fielded a full team (with one small exception that still resulted in a win for Bucks, speak to the VC for more details), which is much appreciated.
Please don’t forget to encourage more past captains from your clubs to join us, even if they can only play in a few of the events they will always be welcome. Also don’t forget to check your diaries when the 2026 event forms come round at the end of this year and get your names down for some matches.
I really hope that you have also enjoyed our 2025 season, and if nothing else, it keeps us fit, apparently golf can add years to our lives! With that thought we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Spring Meeting at Aldwickbury on the 14 April 2026.
Bob
Captain