Hartsbourne maintain grip on Glancy Trophy - The Jewish Chronicle

Teams of eight male golfers from 19 teams across the country battled it out for glory in a tournament widely regarded as the crown of the Association of Jewish Golf Clubs & Societies calendar.

The hot weather was a factor throughout the competition and despite the benefits of the recently modernised irrigation system, the recent dry spell led to the course being very hard underfoot, adding to the test offered by a tough course at Abridge in Essex.

This made control of the golf ball elusive to many pairings in the foursomes format where partners hit alternate shots. Ricky Curtis and Josh Davis of Hartsbourne combined to return an excellent score of 74 to secure the Coombe Hill Trophy for the best gross score.

Tournament newcomers Aaron Selman and James Goldberg, 15, of Moor Allerton lifted the Whitefield Cup for the best nett score.

Hartsbourne’s first success of the weekend saw the Hertfordshire club clinch the Dyrham Park trophy for the aggregated lowest three gross scores in the foursomes.

Dyrham Park took home the Sydney Obrart Cup for the lowest aggregated three nett scores.

Shirley won the Blackpool & Fylde trophy for the best three lowest aggregated nett scores for a B-division team.

The heat was unrelenting on the second day of competition, with Hartsbourne’s Nicky Harris clinching the Hartsbourne Cup with a round of 72, three shots ahead of team-mate Ricky Curtis who collected the Glasgow Trophy.

In the nett division, Robert Stone of Barnet JGS won the Potters Bar Bowl with a round of 71. He fought off the challenge of Sussex Cup winner Paul Simon of Dunham Forest by one shot.

The aggregate team competitions, combining the foursome and single scores, are split by reference to handicap into Division’s A and B, with the Southport Trophy for the best gross combined for a Division B team being won by Barnet JGS and the South Essex Trophy for the best nett combined awarded to Shirley, who complemented this success with the Abridge Cup as runners-up in best nett over both divisions.

Hartsbourne were comfortable winners of the nett aggregate combined singles and foursomes, winning the Edmondstown trophy from the runners-up Dyrham Park who took home the Abridge Cup.

The placings were repeated for the Glancy Trophy, with Hartsbourne retaining the main trophy for the best combined gross aggregate scores with a total of 695, a comfortable margin ahead of Dyrham Park who took home the Shirley trophy as runners-up.

The prize presentation followed the golf and Helen Disdale, wife of Stuart Disdale, captain of Abridge, presented the bulk of the awards with Robert Glancy QC, grandson of tournament founder, Dr Louis Glancy, presenting the Edmondstown Cup and the Glancy trophy. He also expressed “the importance of the competition retaining and building upon the philosophy recited by his grandfather 84 years ago”.

The year’s Glancy featured three 15-year-olds, including Oscar Land of Moor Allerton, who plays off a four handicap, grandfather Howard Bratt and grandson Logan Deyong and Lance Pomerance, playing in the tournament for the 48th consecutive year.

An AJGCS spokesman said: “The Association continues to ensure that it reflects the changing dynamics of Jewish golf with many Jewish golfers now playing outside of the affiliated clubs. In order to offer these golfers competition within the family of Jewish golf, we promoted the inauguration of the United Kingdom & Ireland Jewish Golf Society, with the first event being held in May.”

The Glancy will celebrate its 75 anniversary in Edmondstown, Dublin next year.

Updated information regarding future golf events can be found at ajgcsgolf@gmail.