Dear Fellow Lucifers,
Our year ended in style at the Members and Guests Dinner at the magnificent Oxford and Cambridge Club – courtesy of Martin Knight. This was a very happy occasion. One of the enjoyable features of my Lucifer membership has been to visit a large number of London clubs: the O & C looked after us very well.
We were able to start to enjoy the port that William Carr thoughtfully left the Society in his will.
The winners of our main golfing events were presented with their trophies – photos below. I am immensely grateful to Tim Luther for delivering these to the Oxford and Cambridge Club and for getting them safely back to the Mercers vaults. Tim is also having all this year’s trophies engraved for the Society. Many thanks, Tim!
I was very grateful to Rowan Cole, who celebrated 50 years of Lucifer membership, for his very witty recollections of his time as a Lucifer and the tours he went on and managed. I had placed the Hong Kong Junk (for hole-in-oners at the Commonwealth Tournament) in front of him. There have been three members who have made a hole in one at our Commonwealth Tournament – Rowan Cole, Charlie Jamieson and, this year, Robert Moulsdale.
Our guest speaker was His Honour Richard Hayward who entertained us with his dry humour on the safety precautions in place for the modern judge. Richard is one of the great after dinner speakers at golfing societies and I thank him sincerely for his tour de force.
Our final golf day was at the wonderful Hankley Common where again we enjoyed lovely autumn weather – the wind and rain of Storm Amy in Cornwall now banished from our minds and our swings.
Our great thanks go to John Alexander, and Geoffrey Dove and Stephen Lark (Tandridge), for organising a lunch at Tandridge GC for some of our experienced Lucifers, many of whom travelled significant distances. I believe it was Paul Orchard-Lisle who started this ball rolling: I do hope John Alexander will organise this again next year.
I have received word of a number of internal ‘matches’ being organised this winter with dinner or lunches to keep Lucifers meeting up through the chillier months at other members’ courses. Please check the Whatsapp group and do apply to play.
Match Scribe
Paul Richards retires as Match Scribe and hands over to Colin Hely-Hutchinson. I am very grateful to Paul for carrying out this role for the Society so ably for 4 years and for running a happy but complex Autumn meeting this year at Trevose – finishing his term on a high.
Looking forward to next year, I would like to mention the new barbecue/reception on the Sunday evening of our Commonwealth week, initiated by Will Bailey (July 3 – July 10). The Lucifers are hosting this reception for our Commonwealth visitors. Please do try and take part in a number of events in that week: it is what we are all about.
We have added a new day into the fixture list – the Captain’s Foursomes Trophy – at Ashdown on September 9. I hope this will be at members’ guests’ rates so anticipate a big field. Details to follow. Please see next year’s provisional fixtures below.
I look forward to Auckland on February 8 where Graham Lark’s band of tourists meet to take on the might of New Zealand in both North and South Islands. We are joined by Chris Burgess – one of our Melbourne OLs – who has very kindly agreed to take Michael Bourne’s place for most of the tour. We wish Michael Bourne well.
Our tours help to create the friendships that make the Lucifers so special – friendships with overseas Lucifers but also closer friendships within our membership. We have an ambitious programme over the next few years: Kenya (November 26 – Will Bailey and Nick Harley), Malaysia (March 27 – Kevin Eakin) and South Africa (Jan/Feb 2028). Please do seriously consider joining one of these tours for the golf, the fun and the hospitality we receive.
I am writing this in Florida where I have been entertained to two wonderful days of golf at the most prestigious clubs in South West Florida by our Commonwealth Tournament winner, John Davidson. ‘Commonwealth friendship through golf’. It is not all work and no play being Captain and I have thoroughly enjoyed my year.
Results & Commonwealth News
Results
Richard Costain ran a very enjoyable Family and Guests day at Hankley Common. Army training, possibly of Ukrainians, with rapid gunshot fire, was taking place on the neighbouring army land. A reminder that we are lucky to enjoy golf and friendship on warm autumn days.
The winner of the day was new member Barnaby Mote. I am not sure Carthusians read the instructions that you do not win on your first day out as a Lucifer! However, well played Barnaby on his home course. Peter Bristowe and guest won the team event.
The Carlton completed in November. In the final, Ian Thomson prevailed on his home course, Blackwell, over Jeremy Dixon. Well done to many of our better golfers for making this a very competitive event this year and for completing the rounds on time.
The Winners of this year’s meetings, presented with their trophies at the November Dinner by our President.
Commonwealth News
I am very pleased to hear news of the first Wildfires Day at Victoria GC, Vancouver Island. Royal Colwood and Victoria were well represented. I believe the Cup, presented by Mark Dumas, was shared between the two Clubs. Thank you to Sean Midwood and Johnny Atkinson for making this happen. I hope we can all persuade members from Shaughnessy and Capilano to take part next autumn.
The Match Society
The Match Society met at the Australian Golf Club, Sydney in mid-October.
The Petters Trophy
This year’s inaugural match was played between the Strikers and Les Allumettes at Grand Mere GC, Montreal followed by a Foursomes day at Mount Bruno.
I am not sure how often foursomes is played in Canada but thank you Andy Reddyhof and Ted Clarke for keeping close to Lucifer traditions. A happy day was greatly enjoyed, although no results have been posted. (Vive les Quebecois). David Pettman and Charlie Jamieson have been invited to next year’s event at Royal Quebec on September 15/16.
From the Archives
I attach Michael Webster’s masterpiece of research on our history, matches, tours and Committee meetings. I thought this would make wonderful reading over the Christmas break!
I also include his list of all time Lucifers, in case you missed it last time.
Thank you , Michael Webster, as always!
