By Trevor Bond
The latest SJA Golf Day produced a bit of sporting history, and something that has so far proved beyond Michelle Wie, as photographer Rebecca Naden beat all the men at Mid-Herts GC on Monday.
Naden, with a neat golf handicap of 17, won the day with a score of 35. Second was a guest Bob Evans with 34 and third another guest, David Stevenson, with 32.
This was the fifth SJA Golf Day and saw 18 members and guests tee-off.
David Emery has played before with son Sam – this time he brought extra family support by adding other son Matt in the three-ball singles stableford. They still failed to make a winning score. David Richmond, Ian Cole, Duncan Bond and Graham Wilson fought their way from Essex around the M25; some like Hugh Routledge were just down the road and and others like the Emery clan had to battle the M25 and M1 from the south.
Graham Wilson took advice from Duncan Bond on one hole as to whether he should go round the tree or over it. Duncan suggested “over”, whereby Graham plonked his shot straight into the trunk. Another friendship on hold!
In fact, the only complaint all day was that there were too many trees on the course.
Since Mid-Herts spent some of the winter cutting many of them down and clearing the thick undergrowth, I can only think that the complaint was unfounded – we found the trees, they did not find us! Overall, all our players agreed it was a superb course to play.
Congratulations to all for making it on time. Starter James Findlay was full of praise for our promptness on the first tee – six matches in all – and Mid-Herts provided a superb service, not least a wonderful hot lunch of tomato soup and a steak and kidney pie.
My thanks to Alex McDonald and her staff at Mid-Herts for making it one of the best SJA Golf Days.
I look forward to seeing all again plus many of other stalwarts at the Trophy day at West Herts on October 1. Click here for booking details and put the date in your diary now.