Denham GC v LUGS 5 April 2023 Denham GC
What a pleasure it was for the LUGS to be back at Denham. For those of a certain vintage, Denham was the first match of their university golfing lives coming, as it did, at the start of the Autumn term. It is no exaggeration to say that university golf for an undergraduate at London was a transformative experience; you came up as a callow youth, very much the second class citizen of the typical English golf club – you came down having been generously hosted at London’s premier clubs, schooled in the great format that is foursomes.
And, of all the places to win your spurs, there was no better spot than Denham in the early eighties. A magnificent club that balanced good humour with competition and hospitality; from the moment you entered the old timbered bar until you were poured out onto the golf course after the delicious lunch, warmth and bonhomie dominated proceedings.
It is good to know that, some forty years later, the club still has that ‘special sauce’. Greeted by Ian Hodgson, the match manager and chairman, and John Aldersley, the club captain, the teams were soon conversing like old friends at a special reunion.
Out early for LUGS were Stuart Lloyd and Neil Falconer whose very first game together was at Denham in 1981 when they encountered Jim Shackleton, Scotland’s ex fly half, and Ian McAskill, a fine player who had once qualified for the Open. Sad to say that magic that had brought them a narrow win all those years ago had gone as the Denham pair closed them out with a fine run from the turn.
Elsewhere, there was much excellent golf from the largely youthful LUGS team. Tyler Kenton was making his debut and demonstrated not only very fine play but a strong aptitude for alumni golf as he fought hard for a half. Fabian Midby, our music maestro from Stockholm, shepherded Kaihan Mobed to a good win. Otherwise, the guile and talent of the Denham team saw them nudge the other games all of which went, at least, to the 17th.
The Denham course is undergoing something of a transformation as large numbers of trees are being cleared, bunkers are being rebuilt and greens reshaped. While still early in the season, it’s clear that these changes will make the course yet more interesting and visually very attractive. Harry Colt would have been proud.
A marvellous day ended back in the bar where stories of the ‘putt that got away’ and ‘the strong but errant drive’ abounded. Matt Wilcox led the LUGS team with panache. There was a strong feeling among all participants that this very enjoyable fixture was one that should take its place firmly in both the Denham and the LUGS fixture list. Let us hope so!
| Denham GC | LUGS | ||
| Ian Hodgson & John Aldersley | Win | Stuart Lloyd & Neil Falconer | |
| Rob MacDonald & Doug McTavish | Win | Benito O’Loughlin & Tom Simpson | |
| Stephen Park & Mike Knudsen | Half | Tyler Kenton & Henry Scott | Half |
| Paul Ritchie & Alastair Gordon | Fabian Midby & Kaihan Mobed | Win | |
| Paul Boyle & Ken Macleod | Win | Matt Wilcox & Andrew Berryman | |
| John Gale & Derek Skinner | Win | Thomas Dvorak & Patrik Chrenko | |
| 4.5 | 1.5 | ||
Denham GC beat LUGS by 4.5 to 1.5
London University Golfing Society 