ROYAL SWEDISH GOLFING SOCIETY CAPTAIN S REPORT 2014 2014 was a year of ups and downs. The number of participants in our competitions was mostly lower than in previous years but we saw a good turnout for the summer meeting and the best weather in years at the autumn meeting. There were in total thirteen different winners and seven players winning two competitions or more. Although some familiar names keep showing up in the results there were no dominant player(s) this year. The number of members who participated in at least one competition has gone up marginally to just over fifty. We would still like to see it increase further to the level it was at in 2012 and earlier years. Since the founding of RSGS in 1912 we have had around 225 gentlemen winners and 74 lady winners (ladies only started playing in 1968). These numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt since early records are a little inexact. Ulf Brasen currently has a comfortable lead in the Gentlemen s number of wins with 30 and on the ladies side there is some work to be done for anyone to catch up with Barbro Cutting s impressive total of 22. It is interesting to look at the number of competitions played. If we go back to 1912 and then forward a few years, there were two or three competitions per year. In the 60s there were between four and eight competitions per year and it is only in the 70s and 80s that we saw the competitions growing to the number we have today. There are no trophies that have been played for every year. There were many years where some trophies were missed out - either they were not played for or they did not find a winner. The second half of the year was a time of great sadness, as within just a few months we learned of the deaths of 3 of our members; 2 of them past Presidents and long serving members and officers of the Society. AGM BURHILL GC, MARCH 7, 2014 For the second year in a row we experienced very heavy rain on the day of the AGM, so heavy that the President and the Captain decided, on advice from the club, to cancel the competition altogether. H.R.H. Princess Birgitta Trophy Cancelled. SPRING MEETING ALDEBURGH/THORPNESS, APRIL 25-27, 2014
This year we started the Spring Meeting with a 9-hole competition on Friday afternoon. 12 players competed on the Aldeburgh River course for a team prize as well as an individual one. The weather was mixed bag but the beautiful Aldeburgh course showed itself at its best and reminded us why we come back to Suffolk every year. The form player that weekend was Folmer Amtoft bringing home 3 trophies. Both the captain and the vice captain also came away with prizes. Friday, Aldeburgh 9-Hole Competition, Stableford 1. Ulf Brasen 25p 2. Lis Brasen 23p Team Competition, Combined Stableford 1. Ulf Brasen, Rigmor Rutlin & Paul Williams 48p Saturday, Thorpness The Ladies Cup, Stableford, Ladies, handicaps up to 20 1. Cecilia Block 26p 2. Marianne Spåre 24p The King s Jug, Ladies, handicaps over 20 1. Lis Brasen 36p 2. Rigmor Rutlin 25p The Einar Flygt Challenge Bowl, Stableford, Gentlemen, handicaps up to 15 1. Anders Spåre 22p 2. Douglas Nurse 21p The Berner Cup, Stableford, Gentlemen, handicaps over 15 1. Folmer Amtoft 32p 2. Paul Williams 23p Sunday, Aldeburgh The Society s Prize, Medal Net, Gentlemen 1. Folmer Amtoft 70 2. Anders Spåre 75 Ladies Challenge Prize, Medal Net, Ladies 1. Cecilia Block 77 2. Lis Brasen 79 The Scratch Trophy, Medal Gross, Gentlemen 1. Folmer Amtoft 90 2. Anders Spåre 90 INTERNATIONAL MEETING CHATEAU LES VIGIER, FRANCE, MAY 23-25, 2014
The lovely settings of a French chateau in the middle of the Bordeaux wine country guaranteed another International Meeting full to capacity with Swedish Society players from across Europe. The Belgian society hosted 95 players from UK, Switzerland, Spain, France and Germany. Chateau Les Vigier offers 3 distinct 9-hole courses combined into the course for the day or the competition, La Vallée, Le Lac and Le Vignes. We saw UK player in the top 6 places in all competitions except 1. UK winners were Gunilla Huldt, Ulf Brodd and Louis Carbonnier who all won their respective competitions on day 2 and UK team I won the match play qualification. They UK higher handicap ladies also did very well, taking places 2 through 5 on day 1 and 2 through 4 on day 3. After a nail-biting final in Londonpokalen UK Team I unfortunately saw itself defeated, but picked up an honourable 2 nd place. UK Team I: UK Team II: U Brasen, E-K Brodd, G Huldt, P Lindholm, N Rutlin, A Spåre F Amtoft, C Block, K Kenton, D Nurse, E Sundberg, P Williams Selected UK Results Day 1 Ladies Stableford, Centenary Cup, handicaps 0-23 3. Cecilia Block 28p 4. Gunilla Huldt 28p Ladies Stableford, Centenary Cup, handicaps 24-36 2. Linzy Kenton 30p 3. Lis Brasen 29p 4. Christina Lega 27p 5. Inge Sudbury 25p Men s Stableford, Centenary Cup, handicaps 0-17 4. Peo Lindholm 33p 5. Kristoffer Huldt 32p (RSGS member by playing for France) Men s Stableford, Centenary Cup, handicaps 18-36 5. Louis Carbonnier 29p Day 2 Ladies Medal, Sweden Challenge Cup, handicaps 0-23 1. Gunilla Huldt 87 6. Eva Sundberg 97 Ladies Stableford, Prix de Bruxelles, handicaps 24-36 2. Inge Sudbury 31p 3. Lis Brasen 31p
5. Linzy Kenton 30p Men s Medal, Sweden Challenge Cup, handicaps 0-17 1. Ulf Brodd 73 5. Anders Spåre 76 Men s Stableford, Prix de Bruxelles, handicap 18-36 1. Louis Carbonnier 39p Day 3 Ladies Stableford, Prix du Golf Club Suedois, handicaps 0-23 4. Cecilia Block 29p 5. Anne-Marie Lindholm 28p Ladies Stableford, Prix du Golf Club Suedois, handicaps 24-36 2. Rigmor Rutlin 30p 3. Lis Brasen 29p 4. Inge Sudbury 28p Men s Stableford, Prix du Golf Club Suedois, handicaps 0-17 2. Alexander Lega 30p 5. Ulf Brodd 29p 6. Paul Williams 26p Team Competition 1. UK I 378 2. Spain I 389 3. Switzerland I 391 4. Belgium I 391 5. Switzerland II 395 6. Belgium II 402 7. France I 410 8. UK II 421 9. Germany I 422 Londonpokalen, Match Play Competition 1. Spanien 2. UK 3. Switzerland 4. Belgium SUMMER MEETING - EFFINGHAM GC, JUNE 6, 2014 Golf, sunshine, sill and nubbe is a tried and tested recipe for an RSGS summer meeting. This was again implemented successfully at Effingham golf club on Svenska Flaggans Dag (the national day of Sweden) early June.
24 players competed under very good conditions, as the overall results showed. The top prizes went to two families, Löfbergs and Huldts. Dampokalen 1. Charlotte Löfberg 34p 2. Gunilla Huldt 33p 3. Christina Andersson 30p The Midsummer Trophy 1. Lars Löfberg 35p 2. Kristoffer Huldt 31p 3. Stefan Hising 31p LONDONPOKALEN / QUEEN S TROPHY GÖTEBORGS GK, AUGUST 24, 2014 The trophy for the Londonpokalen was donated to Göteborgs golf club in 1922, hence the invitation to RSGS members to participate in this time-honoured bogey competition over 36 holes. Since our Centenary year in 2012 and thanks to Staffan Widenfelt there is now also a ladies competition for the Queen s Trophy. This year RSGS was represented by 6 members. The Queen s Trophy 10. Lis Brasen 13. Charlotte Löfberg Londonpokalen 9. Lars Löfberg 28. Anders Spåre 31. Ulf Brasen 35. Gunnar Widenfelt AUTUMN MEETING LE TOUQUET, FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 19-21, 2014 Due to unforeseen circumstances there were some last minute cancellations and only 10 players competed for the beautiful silver trophies. We therefore had to combine some of the competitions and reduce the number of trophies handed out. The three courses, Hardelot Le Pins, La Mer and Belle Dunes, in combination with the best early autumn weather in France for years provided us with a truly enjoyable golf experience, and despite the numbers, a good spread of winners. Day 1, Hardelot, Le Pins The Magnuson Bowl, stableford, ladies 1. Anita Mortensen 30p 2. Cecilia Block 26p Day 2, La Mer The Ladies Prize, medal, ladies 1. Lis Brasen 74 2. Cecilia Block 76 Day 3, Belles Dunes Till Qvinnans Pris & Ära, stableford, ladies 1. Cecilia Block 34p 2. Rigmor Rutlin 31p The Bommen Cup, stableford, gentlemen 1. Douglas Nurse 29p 2. Kaj Mortensen 26p The Captain s Prize, medal, gentlemen 1. Kaj Mortensen 70 2. Ulf Brasen 81 The Kastrup Challenge Cup, stableford, gentlemen 1. Anders Grundberg 33p 2. Kaj Mortensen 26p
THE LARSMON TANKARD The Larsmon Tankard is a mixed greensomes match against Hadley Wood GC at Hadley Wood. This competition is normally played in October but this year it turned out that the club had an all day competition arranged on the day we had agreed to play. We found this out too late and at that time it wasn t possible to find an alternative date. Therefore the match wasn t played in 2014. At least we didn t suffer another loss. LADIES MEETING BURHILL GC, OCTOBER 6, 2014 Eight ladies battled the elements, it was pouring with rain, but still professed to have had a lovely time. Charlotte Löfberg continued to show good form since late last year and captured the trophy. The Cutting Prize 1. Charlotte Löfberg 31p 2. Agneta Ax:son Johnson 25p GENTLEMEN S MEETING SWINLEY FOREST, NOVEMBER 11, 2014 All too few RSGS members came to this year s meeting at Swinley Forest, a gem of a golf course which is played by invitation only. We took the opportunity to invite a few guests to take advantage of the tee-times. On an Indian summer s day the normally very tough Harry Colt course appear to have loosened its grip slightly. The scores were indeed competitive. H.R.H. Prince Bertil Cup The Berntsson Cup 1. Anders Grundberg 71 1. Alexander Lega 37p 2. Jan Persson 72 2. Willy Nyberg 30p Paul Williams Scratch Prize Guest Prize 1. Anders Grundberg 85 1. Ken Ukoko 32p LADIES CENTENARY TROPHY This trophy, donated to RSGS by Göteborgs GK at the Centenary Meeting at S:t George s Hill in 2012, is won by the lady with the lowest net combined scores from the medal competitions at the Spring and Autumn Meetings. Only a few ladies took part in both meetings but this did not prevent us from having to award the trophy on count-back. Lis Brasen retains the Ladies Centenary trophy. 1. Lis Brasen 79 + 74 = 153
2. Cecilia Block 77 + 76 = 153 3. Rigmor Rutlin 90 + 81 = 171 THE KROON TROPHY Combined net scores from the men s medal competitions at the Spring and Autumn Meetings. This year only two players managed both competitions leaving Ulf Brasen the winner. 1. Ulf Brasen 81 + 81 = 162 2. Nils Rutlin 86 + 87 = 173 PRESIDENT S CUP Fourteen gentlemen competed for the president s cup in 2014. Jan Persson yet again played very well and reached the final for the third year in a row. In the final though he met tough opposition in Anders Spåre and after a tight match had to hand over the trophy this year. Winner Anders Spåre with 1 up. SYNNÖVE BRASEN MEMORIAL CUP Same as last year there were nine ladies taking part in this knock-out competition. Charlotta Lyckeus played very well throughout the competition and won many of her matches convincingly, beating Rigmor Rutlin in the final. SECRETARY S CUP This competition has been plagued by scheduling problems as well as injuries amongst many players. The same applies to the final where one of the four players was struggling with a back injury, and the remaining three players couldn t find a date to play the match. Since the two semi-finalists had reached this stage in the competition on walk-over, the only sensible option seemed to abandon the competition. There is therefore no winner of the Secretary s Cup in 2014. MIXED COUPLES SCRAMBLE Eight couples battled for this second year of the Mixed Couples Scramble. Lis & Ulf Brasen managed to defend the cup and keep it for one more year, beating Marianne and Anders Spåre in the final.
HANDICAP REVISIONS The handicap revisions were changed this year and after a transition period, which will be over at the Summer Meeting, players get one or two shots deducted from their handicaps following their second win in a handicap year. The adjustments take effect immediately and run through the remainder of the handicap year. For players with handicaps up to 14.9 (men) / 19.9 (ladies), the handicap adjustment is 1 stroke. For players with higher handicaps, the adjustment is 2 strokes. The handicap year runs from just after the Summer Meeting to the Summer Meeting the following year. For a full write-up of the handicap rules, please go to the RSGS Rules section of the website. The current handicap RSGS Handicap Adjustments can also be found in the RSGS Rules section of the website. Because of the transition to new rules most adjustments applicable during 2014 have now expired. Going into the AGM competition the following adjustments are in force, from events since the 2014 Summer Meeting Player Event Adjustments Adjustment Expires Cecilia Block 1 win at 2014 Autumn meeting -1 13-Jun-2015 Anders Grundberg 1 win at Autumn Meeting, 1 win at Swinley -2 13-Jun-2015 2015 The fixture list for 2015 is available on our website under 2015 Events. It was with awe that I took on the job of Captain being the first female to carry this role in the society s more than 100-year history. Having had great support from the rest of the committee has helped make this first year a joy, albeit slightly dampened by the dwindling number of participants in our competitions. We are moving in to 2015 hoping to see more of you competing for the great collection of RSGS silver trophies. Cecilia Block Captain Royal Swedish Golfing Society February 2015