Monmouth Memorial Trophy 2025

MEMORIAL TROPHY 2025

MONMOUTH

Thanks to Clive “route planner” Taylor, everyone arrived early as we allowed extra time for the terribly busy traffic going to the Monmouth show? Twenty turned up with Sumo crying off at the last minute, probably due to the traffic issues.

If you like dry running courses a la Kington, then this was right up your street, that is until you reached the greens, which in many cases were more like browns. The club is obviously having some problems, with disease on the greens and the lack of rain has turned many holes into a lottery.

Having said that it’s the same for everyone with some doing well, some moaning, some laughing about the situations they found themselves in and some just enjoying the views.

On the 1st Robbo struck a lovely drive that disappeared over the hedge on the left, followed by Tony, who’s ball took the hedge like it was Beechers Brook, much to his dismay and our amusement. Nick hit his right where it hit a skinny tree and came back towards him.

JRGW told us he had never played the course before and promptly birdied the 1st. Then standing on the 2nd tee the senior recalled that he had played before and promptly parred that.

The 3rd has OB on the right which you cannot see off the tee and I of course found it. Looking at the card it clearly states, OUT OF BOUNDS - The area defined by white stakes on the 3rd hole, so I took my punishment, if I’d bothered to read further “when playing the 8th hole” As kindly (and loudly) pointed out by Jolley C a few holes later. Only saving grace is that I was not the only tool!

On the 4th NP in 2, you had to hit the tee shot between overhanging trees or in Disco Dave Humphries case, hit it through a 1m gap.

The 5th proved interesting. It is a dogleg left with a large pond or now a vegetable patch, at the bottom, before going to an elevated green. It was reported that Mark Weaver hit a 7-iron for his second shot, which hit the path and rolled all the way down the next hole, meaning a 5-iron for his 3rd.

On to the 10th a tricky par 3 of 165 yards, with OB left and a big slope to the right. McD ended up hitting 5 off the tee, lost that ball, settled for 10, only then to find his first ball, which had hit a tree and ended up in play.

Fun and games continued and, on the 12th, JRGW hit his approach which “trickled” through the green, never to be seen again. The 13th was nearest the pin and when we arrived the marker was 18 inches from the hole, quite an achievement (and a relief for the winner!) with what was about to occur.

Both McD and Notso hit tee shots that came up just short of the green, they then started rolling back towards the 17th and ended up in the hay 75 yards from the green. Cuth had a couple of hacks and walked off with a 6. Pete had a credible 4 from his awful lie.

We came under fire on 14, from Sam, Disco, Maz and CJ, a drivable par 4 at 300 yards downhill, or in the case of Sam, 320 yards to the next tee, where his ball ended up.

After all the nonsense was completed, we had to get on with the presentation to avoid the show traffic and the results were.

NP – Chris – Phew!
NP2 – Robin - where did that go?
3rd – John - never played here - 74.
2nd – Nick - new putter – 74
1st – Robin - Oh there it is! – 69

Well done Robin and obviously not being able to see your drive helps and I’m sure you’ll get the winning balls, along with the others soon, when the organizers get their acts together.

Next up Ryder Cup.

Pershore Golf Society