The OEGS golf tour took place on 24-26 April in Norfolk and surprisingly the weather was pretty good with no rain over the three days.

Twelve OEGS golfers ( well 11 and an honorary member ! ) started the tour at Hunstanton GC on Friday 24^th with one Hunstanton member playing in each foursomes kindly arranged by local OE Andrew Sherwood. There was a slight breeze but the golfers could not use the weather as an excuse and the overall winners were Andrew Sherwood and Colin Farrant with 36 stableford points. Nearest the pin was also Andrew Sherwood ( well it was one of his home courses ! ) and longest drive Iryna Photiou who managed to be the only player to keep her drive on the fairway. Highlight of the day was one OE playing a difficult bunker shot and falling over back into the bunker ! Later in the evening we ate well at the King William IV pub in Sedgeford where 7 OEGS golfers stayed over the weekend.

On Saturday we played Royal West Norfolk GC ( Brancaster ) in the best of the weather over the weekend. In fact it was so good we nearly got trampled on by all the locals making their way down to the beach. Foursomes again with a Brancaster member in each group to help us round the course. Poor David Burt managed to trip over coming out of the clubhouse gashing his leg and needed to call out the Club nurse to dress the wound after starting his round. The course is infamous for a few bunkers being constructed of wooden railway sleepers creating vertical timbered faces or walls. A few embarrassed OE’s finding themselves in these bunkers struggled to get out of them or found their balls hitting the sleepers and ending up yards back down the fairway. Not all players had this difficulty and the winners of the Peter Robinson Salver with 32 stableford points were Peter Henley and Mark Winstanley. Nearest the pin was Chris Walker and longest drive was Will Hawes. We enjoyed a lovely lunch in the club’s upstairs Dining Room with views along the coastline and drank a toast in memory of George Eve who had sadly passed away that week and who had been instrumental in starting the OEGS Norfolk tour many years before. We also celebrated Mark Winstanley’s 75^th birthday, who had not been on the OEGS Norfolk tour for 10 years, presenting him with a bottle of malt whisky after his winning round.

Dinner on Saturday night was at the Lifeboat Inn in Thornham with the normal excitement at the end of the meal when David Burt revealed the pairings for the next day.

The final day was played at Sheringham GC where the wind had picked up and despite some sunny intervals driving against the wind was tricky for some. Also sadly one OE had fallen ill during the night and could not play so some quick changes to the playing order had to be made. We had other Sheringham members join us and enjoyed some stunning views and the regular steam train running up and down the track adjacent to the course. Fourball better ball was the format of the day and the overall winners were Peter Henley ( yet again ! ) and local member John Waller with 39 stableford points. Highest individual stableford score with 34 points was Andrew Sherwood, nearest the pin Paul Spruce and longest drive Iryna Photiou ( yet again ! ).

A long journey home for many after lunch but not before unanimous thanks were given to organiser and OEGS secretary David Burt for his hard work arranging the tour and the weather and to Ian Henley who somehow every meal had a spreadsheet detailing what everyone had eaten and drank and how much each individual owed. No-one dared query his figures !

Everyone looks forward to next year and all agreed that Peter Henley would have to bring along his handicap certificate !

Paul Spruce

Iryna Photiou and Paul Spruce at Brancaster

A well controlled swing from Will Hawes

Mike Hutchinson by the entrance gates to Brancaster / Royal West Norfolk Golf Club

Chris Walker (right) presenting the Peter Robinson Salver to Peter Henley and Mark Winstanley