Metropolitan Grand Lodge & Chapter Golf Society
Our Reporter on the fairway and in the rough – Bro. Morris Bentley ( London Grand Bandit ) writes…
Captain’s Day
On a sunny and breezy day in September, Old Fold Manor Golf Club in Barnet, Hertfordshire was the venue of the Metropolitan Grand Lodge & Chapter Golf Society final outing of the season. The course was laid out by Harry Colt and opened in 1910; and was used as a Qualifying Course for the Open in the last decade. Measuring 6,240 yards off the Yellow Tees with a Par of 71 strokes, it proved more of a test than was first thought!
The ground was hard and dry and so while there was plenty of ‘run’ on the fairways, getting ‘underneath the ball’ to send it pitching onto the greens proved a challenge. The greens were of superb quality and very fast, while the bunkers were typical of Harry Colt and although placed there over a hundred years ago, still managed to catch many out.
There were two guests who have been regular supporters of the Society over the past few years and it was Mochtar with 34 points (receiving 15 shots) who beat Boon (receiving 26 shots) by 3 points.
Nearest the Pin on the 7th Hole of 161 yards (Stroke Index 17) was Kevin Jones; while Nearest the Pin on the 10th Hole of 118 yards (Stroke Index 18) was Choo. The Longest Drive on the 18th Hole measured some 245 yards and was ‘creamed down the fairway’ by the Society Captain – Matthew Beckwith.
Of the two trophies awarded at the flagship event of the year, The Captain’s Day Cup is awarded to the Lowest Gross Score and this year it went to Kevin Jones who went round in 89 strokes, which was 18 over Par. The Captain’s Day Claret Jug for most Stableford Points went to Ian Law (receiving 18 shots) who scored 31 points.
This was the first time in a very long while that no one in the field scored 36 points or more and so, there are no cuts carried over to 2025; apart from the absent Anil Dhiri who will be carrying over 2 shots from his previous outing.
Afterwards, a most enjoyable meal was taken with a tasty chicken pie followed by a homemade cheesecake.
Society Fixtures for 2025
| Russell Race Trophy | Late April | Somewhere in East Kent |
| Opening Ode | Thursday 15th May | Badgemore GC, Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire |
| Andrew Henderson | Thursday 12th June | Warley Park GC, Brentwood, Essex |
| Annual Tri Inter-Provincial Match | Wednesday 9th July | Old Fold Manor GC, Barnet, Hertfordshire |
| President's Salver | Thursday 17th July | Stanmore GC, Middlesex |
| Captain's Day | Thursday 11th September | Royal Blackheath GC, Eltham, Kent |
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Website is https://londonmasonicgolf.org.uk/
