What a fantastic start to our 2026 season! The weather at Gog Magog Golf Club was simply stunning and really set up a great day of golf for everyone on the outstanding Wandlebury Course. Starting the season at Cambridge again feels fitting after such a long break and this was made possible thanks to the efforts of Tom Williams the scratch team captain there which I cannot thank him enough for.

The course itself was in great condition for the time of year and this was reflected in some pretty solid scoring on the day by most of the field with an overall average of 30.8. In total we had 19 birdies, 173 pars, 317 bogeys, 316 doubles or worse and 38 pickups.

A full house of 48 golfers with an incredible 42 members making the day with 6 guests was a really strong showing from the membership so I thank you for that.
Realnet were the sponsors of the day and they provided some great bottles of wine as well as a nice trophy for the winner on the day which was a nice little touch. Thank you to Kari, last years captain, for your support to the event and my charity, Mind CPSL.

On to the prizes:

Skills prizes

Nearest the pin on hole 5 – David Mills

Nearest the pin in two on hole 11 – Barry Peak

Nearest the pin on hole 16 – Graham Barber

Team prizes

In third place, with 113 points, Team Fielder, consisting of Peter Fielder, Barry Peak, Robert Hall and Michael Campbell.

In second place, with 118 points, was the aptly named Bandits with David Clark, Craig Salisbury, Jeremy Wager and Jeremy Farrant.

And taking first place, with a solid 122 points, were Team Captain! Congratulations to David Mills, Steve Gray and Tom Meeks for really putting in a great performance on the day.

Individual guests

Guests are always welcome at CBGS events, and once a guest has played one event they’re eligible to apply for membership the following year if they are so interested. This event was a bit of a one horse race with some respectable scoring overall.

In second place, with 35 points was John Titmus.

Taking first place, with 40 points, from a respectable handicap of 10, was Umair Asif. Unfortunately Umair was unable to attend the evening so the prize was awarded to John Titmus, well done.

Individual members

Strong starts were made by several golfers, including myself, with the top 15 golfers recording scores of 35 or more reflecting the excellent conditions on the day.

In third place, after a tie on 38 points and losing out on countback, was Barry Peak.

In second place, also with 38 points, was John Altomonte.

And our winner at the Wandlebury with an outstanding 41 points playing off of 5 was David Clark. Congratulations David on recording a scratch round, absolutely brilliant!

Wooden spoon

Our wooden spoon winner at the Wandlebury was new member Jerome Faissat with 22 points. Abject, but not bad enough to receive any shots back!

Cuts and shots back

Michael Campbell, Barry Peak and John Altomonte all receive a 1 shot cut and David Clark, with the sheer front to score 41 points off a handicap of only 5, gets a 2 shot cut. Don’t do it again!

Fines

No CBGS day would be complete without the amusing fines report, where we relive the day’s dramas, disasters, and dodgy decisions, all in good humour and for a great cause. Every penny raised supports Mind CPSL, who do fantastic work and are hugely appreciative of our support. Here are a few of the standout fines from this round:

• Dan Stringer for failing to realise it was a team event on the day until halfway through his round
• Fines going to Harry Lygoe and Michael Campbell for not having a profile picture on the CBGS website
• Simon Whitmore for pulling out of the event however still wanting dinner
• Richard Darler for having a temper tantrum whilst another group was teeing off nearby
• And Craig Salisbury for getting his foot stuck whilst driving a buggy and subsequently crashing through, and destroying, a cordon!

Also a special mention to Jeremy Wager for once again capturing the prize-giving and providing an excellent selection of photos from the day.

I hope you all enjoyed the day, I’m already very much looking forward to The Grove on the 7th of April which promises to be a truly special day. David Clark has made a strong statement on his desire to reclaim The Anthony Barnes Award in 2026, I’m looking forward to seeing who else will be making a challenge.

A final note regarding The Grove. After a request from some members I have decided to allow buggies on the day as it is apparently quite the walk. We will be publishing tee times early to allow these to be booked in good time if you so wish. The Grove have advised these are £70 for the day between two golfers. This does seem steep so I will try and negotiate a discount and will advise in due course if I’m successful.

And finally, thank you all so much for your support!

2026 CBGS Captain – Paul French