As far as results go, our first fixture of the year marked our highest point. A glorious late February day found the LUGS at Muirfield trying to secure our first win against the SUGS since 2012. Having led going into lunch in both 2022 and 2023, we entered the afternoon matches with our noses in front again – and eager that history would not repeat itself. But, whether it was dogged golf or, as SUGS captain Ewan Cameron put it, ‘we’ve become bored of winning’, LUGS held its collective nerve for an eight to four win. Ignoring the ‘no gloating’ rule, captain John Dennis declared that we were in for a ‘decade of dominance’ in the fixture. Will that prediction come back to haunt him on 21 February when the SUGS visit us in Sandwich?
Muirfield turned out to be our only victory against ‘UGS’ opponents. Sandwich saw victories for both the DUGS and the QUGS in marvellous and tightly fought fixtures. Though we also lost to the PUGS, on every other measure the match was a great success. Playing in Paris for the first time, the PUGS were magnificent hosts at the outstanding Harry Colt course that is St Germain. Peter Dyson led a magnificent LUGS team whose skills were not limited to golf. The singing post-match was, perhaps, more competitive than tuneful; but LUGS swept the literary awards with Tom Fahy’s poetry (there for everyone to see in the write up of the game) capturing elements of both Byron and Rimbaud.
Stuart Lloyd led us in the triangular fixture with Old St Peters and Old Uppingham at New Zealand – a match that is now firmly embedded in our fixture list. Andrew Westmore also led from the front at Berkhamsted. His role this year though was limited to breakfasting well, the weather resulting in the course being closed immediately after the scrambled eggs.
Our last fixture saw us up against the London University side at Huntercombe. University captain Anastazja Piechula has worked hard to rebuild the team’s fixture list and arrived with a delightful and very talented group of golfers. The more we can do to help the LU side back to good health, the better. Indeed, the growth (and continuation) of the LUGS depends on young players from the university being drawn into LUGS golf. It also depends on the younger LUGS stepping forward to organise fixtures on more than a ‘one off’ basis. Perhaps we will see some of that in 2025?
Among LUGS’s finest golfers is Nicola Taylor and it was a joy to see her married in June. The lucky groom was Jonny Calder, one of SUGS’s finest, giving rise to plenty of speculation at the reception of the creation, in due course, of a SLUGS team.
Nicola’s uncle, Alastair Wells, read in the church and, as ever, exuded kindness and optimism during the day notwithstanding his recent medical misfortunes.
It was only a month later that we heard of Alastair’s death. Among the finest and most thoughtful of men, Alastair was equally comfortable talking to members of the R&A Championship Committee as he was to the green keepers at Walton Heath. A very fine golfer, he made the semi-finals of the English Amateur at Sandwich while still a teenager. Though highly competitive on any course, Alastair loved the links, which suited his running game; it was rare for him to hit the ball above 30 feet.
This correspondent first met him when, as a new student, he made his debut for the London University side. Already with a cupboard full of cups, trophies and scalps, you might have expected Alastair to be somewhat dismissive of this mediocre new golfing blood. But, while he could walk with kings, he never lost the common touch and his unwavering support and kindness to me over the last forty years has been overwhelming. The enormous chapel at Epsom College was packed for his memorial service – evidence, if ever it was needed, that he will be missed by many.
Greetings of the season to all LUGS and their families and we all look forward to a fine 2025.
London University Golfing Society 