News & Results

The 2025 EAFGS Memorial Day took place at Bungay Golf Club with a disappointing turnout of only 14 members. Bacon rolls and coffee were followed by 18 holes of golf on a beautiful, sunny November morning. It has been over 11 years since the Society last visited Bungay and we found the course in good condition and we were very well looked after by the golf club.

 After play, we enjoyed a tasty ham, egg and chip supper with the usual level of banter, laughter and general camaraderie.

 The winner was presented with wine and the lovely memorial trophy. Wine and the much coveted EAFGS logo golf balls were presented to the other worthy winners:

 1st Prize   -  David Partridge -  42 points

 2nd Prize   -  Robert Bryce - 33 points

 3rd  Prize  -   John Taverner - 33 points

 4th  Prize   -  Richard Boyd - 33 points

 Nearest the Pin on Par 3 Prizes – Richard Boyd, Julian Bye with one apiece and the Honorary Secretary taking the honours on two of the Par 3’s

 The Team Prize for best total score across all the Par 3’s went to Tony Lount, Tim Pitt, Mike Easton and Andrew Thurston.

The 2025 EAFGS Golf and AGM Meeting took place at Hunstanton Golf Club with 26 members participating. A lovely breakfast was followed by 18 holes of golf with the course in good condition despite bare fairways and preferred lies being in place. Strong winds made for difficult conditions with stopping the ball downwind providing as difficult as making any distance into the wind. We were all thankful for warm winds and no rain.

Initially, Prize Giving was thrown into turmoil as incorrect results were announced. Whilst our outgoing Captain took responsibility for this error, it was the honesty and integrity of one Tim Pitt that led to a re-assessment of the scorecards. 

The outcome of this drama was that last year’s winners again prevailed with only countback separating the top three pairs. 

The winners were again presented with the Richardson Trophies along with the highly coveted EAFGS logo golf balls and some average quality wine. The Honorary Secretary, whilst presenting the trophies, reprimanded the trophy winners for not engraving the trophies last year and has taken the job in house to ensure this is done properly this year.   

 1st Prize   -  Jeremy Nunn and Simon Partridge  -  38 points (19 back 9)

 2nd Prize   -  Tim Pitt and Steven Hull  -  38 points (18 back 9)

 3rd  Prize  -   Tony Lount and Mike Easton - 38 points (17 back 9)

Nearest the Pin on Par 3’s  -  Rodney Elsden, Steven Hull, Jeremy Thompson, Robert Macdonald 

Best Points Total across all 4No. Par Threes (10 points) - Robert MacDonald 

Following the golf presentation, the AGM was held with reports presented by the Honorary Secretary covering the year’s activities and finances followed by our outgoing Captain, Wally Hammond who thanked the members for their support and especially that of Andrew Thurston and Ian Bryce.

Wally has been a wonderful captain bringing fun and enthusiasm to the role culminating in a fantastic tour to North Devon in June.  He has not only left his mark on the Society but also many golf balls on the golf clubs we have visited during his Captaincy.   

The Election of Officers saw David Partridge elected as the new Captain, Wally Hammond becoming Vice Captain, Ian Bryce continuing his role as President and Andrew Thurston re-elected as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. Andrew will hand over the secretarial reins to Mike Easton at the end of 2026 whilst continuing as Treasurer. Simon Price was elected to the committee and Steven Hull becomes Captain Elect for 2027. 

Following the AGM, a very good fish and chip supper was enjoyed along with discussions on missed putts and bad bounces before we all left Hunstanton reflecting on a wonderful year.

The two teams of 12 met at Flempton Golf Club for the annual golf match which started with a moment’s silence for George Hazell. 

In good weather, the pairings went out with Tony Lount stepping in for the surveyors who were one short.  It was good to see some not so regular EAFGS attendees step up to play in this fixture. Matches were tight and in came down to the wire. In an act of EAFGS high treason, Tim Pitt and Steven Hull were beaten by, yes you guessed it, Tony Lount and this resulted in a victory for the Surveyors. 

A meal of cold meats, salad and potatoes (I am assured by Tim Pitt these were English) followed by Eton Mess brought proceedings to a close. Next year the two teams will again return to Flempton to do battle with Tony Lount seconded back to his rightful place in the heart of the EAFGS line-up.

Thirteen committee members attended the committee meeting at Captain, Wally Hammond’s, home course. Whilst refreshments were taken the committee meeting got underway with discussions on remaining fixtures, 2026 fixtures and the 2026 tour to Le Touquet.  A very good meal along with a glass or two of wine was then followed by a very enjoyable round of golf with victory going to Tim Pitt.

The annual match against the Suffolk Captains took place at Rushmere Golf Club under cloudless skies after a light lunch of soup and sandwiches.

No-one could believe how bare the fairways were, which led to some wicked bounces of the golf ball!!! Three matches were not very close, with the Suffolk Captains winning very easily. The old campaigner Tony Lount along with his playing partner, Mike Easton performed well and triumphed. The remaining three matches were nip and tuck affairs with EAFGS up in all three matches with only three holes to play. Unfortunately, the Suffolk Captains fought back to halve all three which resulted in a 4.5 to 2.5 point victory. The after-play two course dinner along with several drinks were well received. The EAFGS President, Ian Bryce, handed over the trophy for safekeeping until we win it back in 2026.

Half the tour party travelled down to Devon the night before to be joined by the remainder at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club the following morning. The forecast for the week was a mixed bag but included a good deal of wind and rain.  Miraculously, we managed to dodge the rain until our last day.

We started with sandwiches and the first beer of the tour. Burnham and Berrow was a beautiful links course only spoiled by the obscene graffiti that had been scribed on most of the greens with the use of bleach.  The wording better described the culprits than anyone else.  This unsavoury act was nearly matched by one of our own deciding to take relief (of the urinatory kind) right beside the public footpath – just as a young lady and her dog passed by. Fortunately, it would seem that there was not enough to see to justify a compliant.

A 90-minute journey after golf took us to our base for the week – The Imperial Hotel in Barnstaple. What a gem this was. A lovely hotel with wonderful staff, great food and a good bar and lounge area. A fabulous dinner followed by drinks and the first handicap re-shuffle by the EAFGS cabinet (made up of just the Honorary Secretary).

A hearty breakfast before departure to Royal North Devon Golf Club – the oldest golf course in England. Some might say the oddest golf course in England. A huge expanse of flat ground running down to the sea on common land populated by sheep, horses, walkers and their dogs. Very little signage as to where you were meant to go but a fascinating test of golf and a wooden-faced bunker higher than Trump’s Chinese tariffs. A very interesting array of golfing memorabilia in the club house “museum” made for a quite unique day. Back to the hotel and a beer or two in the hotel lounge before our walk to The Ganges for a very agreeable curry.  A good evening had by all.

Our third test of golf was at Saunton Golf Club where we played the East Course – regularly rated in the Top 50 Courses of the UK. It was clear to see why. This was a fabulous links course which saw us enjoy our best weather of the tour. The earlier groups enjoyed a few drinks on the terrace and barracked the later groups as they putted out on the 18th. A great day.

We returned to the haven of The Imperial Hotel for our last supper. A veritable feast enjoyed by one and all with one or two members opting for the cheese plate option which included Ticklemoor Goat - a semi-hard cheese.  No opportunities for childish jokes to be found there.

After dinner, the wise went to bed and the hardened few held court at the bar with unrepeatable stories of golf and life before taking to our beds for the last time in Barnstable.

Our final round – a step too far for some – was wet and a little windy but Weston-Super-Mare Golf Club provided the perfect final day course for us all. Prior to play, the Thurston-Shaw duo managed to convince our Burnham and Berrow caught short golfer that a complaint had indeed been lodged by the young lady at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club and that he was potentially in serious trouble. Said defendant proceeded to blob the first 4 holes, lose three balls and walk in after 9 only to find it was all a big wind up. He was heard to mutter – revenge will be sweet.

Chips and sandwiches greeted our wet and weary bodies after golf and the final prize giving was followed by thanks to all for taking part and to our organisers, Wally “where’s my ball” Hammond, Andrew “always in the prizes” Thurston, John “the cards” Shaw and Ian “one more drink from the kitty” Bryce.

Sadly, no picture of our victorious team from our last day of golf at Weston-Super-Mare Golf Club. 

The 2025 EAFGS Invitation Day took place at Thetford Golf Club with 52 participants consisting of members, guests and sponsors. An enormous full english breakfast was followed by 18 holes of golf  with the course in good condition reflected by the good scores that were posted.

A fantastic rolling dinner was followed with a presentation by the Regional Manager of RABI, Lucy Belfontaine, who explained the help and support they provide for farmers and she also thanked EAFGS for their kind donation of £510.00 to the charity.

Our Captain thanked our sponsors – Ben Burgess Limited, Brooks Leney and Birketts – whose continued support of EAFGS is much appreciated.

The winners were presented with the coveted EAFGS logo golf balls:

 1st Prize   -  Ian Bryce and Barry Hitchcock  -  48 points

 2nd Prize   -  Richard Lilwall and Geoff van Poortvliet  -  48 points

 3rd  Prize  -  Nigel Merriam and Chris Hodges – 46 points

 4th  Prize   -  David English and Martin Fuller (Ben Burgess)  -  46 points

Nearest the Pin on Par 3 Prizes – James Harrison, Harry Hammond, Tam Payne and Lewis Barber

Nearest the Pin in 2 on Par 4 Prizes – Geoff van Poortvliet,  David Partridge and Colin Barnett

The Team Prize went to Ian Bryce, Barry Hitchcock, Nigel Merriam and Chris Hodges with a very good score of 94 points. 

The first committee meeting of 2025 took place at Thetford Golf Club with a healthy attendance of 15 committee members. An enjoyable two-course lunch followed a constructive meeting where the Devon Tour 2025 and a potential tour to France in 2026 were discussed amongst the standard housekeeping issues and the continued drive for new members.

A fixture in 2025 or 2026 at Burnham on Crouch Golf Club was muted by the 2027 Captain Elect but this was quickly snuffed out by Ian Low who said twice in 2027 would be enough!  It was really lovely to see Michael Deeks join us for lunch but with Michael and Tom Barker departing after pudding, the remaining 13 members set about taking on a long Thetford course which was in great condition.

The 2025 Captain and 2026 Captain Elect were extremely unlucky, experiencing many bad bounces, bad lies and lipped out putts which greatly reduced their stapleford points scores (17 and 19 respectively). Even added together they would could not match the score of the winner who, with a very creditable 37 points, was Robert Bryce. In 2nd place on countback with 36 points was Richard Boyd with Tim Pitt in third place.

The Autumn meeting of East Anglian Farmers Golfing Society was held at Newmarket Golf Club on Thursday 14th November.

It was a tough day at the office for most taking part with many lost golf balls under the autumn leaves and heavy conditions resulting in little run on the fairways. 

It is with regret that I have to advise that both Tim Pitt and Stephen Hull wore shorts – this will be addressed at the next Committee meeting. 

The woolly hat and short wearing ex. Captain Pitt was victorious with a very respectable score of 36 points.

Newmarket Golf Club hosted the Society very well and no-one left hungry after a substantial two course meal to bring the season to a close.

1st Place – Tim Pitt - 36 points

2nd Place – Alastair Whyte - 34 points

3rd Place – Nigel Merriam - 33 points

Team Prize – Ian Bryce, Julian Bye and Nigel Merriam – 94 points

Nearest The Pin Winners - Robert Bryce, Julian Bye, Nigel Merriam

This brings to an end a very successful golfing fixture list for 2024 with huge thanks to John Davy, Robert Markillie and our Honorary Secretary, Andrew Thurston.

The 65th AGM meeting of East Anglian Farmers Golfing Society was held at Brampton Park Golf Club - the home course of our Captain, John Davy, on Thursday 12th September 2024.

A good day was had by all, playing for the coveted Richardson Trophy.

1st Place - Jeremy Nunn and Simon Partridge - 49 points

2nd Place - Wally Hammond and David Slater - 44 points

3rd Place - John Davy and Richard Boyd - 43 points

Nearest The Pin Winners - Robert Bryce, Tim Pitt, Richard Boyd, Stephen Hull and Simon Partridge.

Jeremy Nunn was thanked for his sponsorship of the event.

At the AGM Robert Markillie was succeeded as President by Ian Bryce and Wally Hammond takes over the Captaincy from John Davy. Both Robert and John were presented with glassware as a token of thanks for their efforts.

Winners:  Jeremy Nunn and Simon Partridge pictured with John Davy – EAFGS Captain
All the prize winners from a great day at Brampton Park Golf Club

Our EAFGS Team beat the Suffolk Captains at Stowmarket Golf Club by the tightest of margins  - 4.5 points to 3.5 points.

A strong field of 52 members, guests and sponsors took to the course at Thetford Golf Club to compete in the East Anglian Farmers Golfing Society Annual Invitation Day on 14th May 2024.  We were very grateful for the sponsorship provided by Ben Burgess, Birketts, Brooks Leney, Savills and TW Gaze which helped us to raise £750.00 for our chosen 2024 charity – YANA – which provides confidential health and wellbeing support to those in agriculture and rural businesses.

We were delighted that our numbers included 14 golfers representing our sponsors and we are pleased to hear that a number of them wished to join. We look forward to welcoming them to our Society.

After a very hearty Full English Breakfast and still with no sign of the Society’s Captain, John Davy, the first group teed off at 10.32. Despite rain in the air and clearly falling all around us, we suffered no more than a few fleeting showers and for the main, played in shirt sleeves with everyone returning to the bar and dining room by 5pm for a superb rolling carvery and prize giving.

The best combined 4BBB for a team of 4 players was won by Tim Partridge, James Harris, Robert Bryce and Geoff Walker with a score of 91 points.

The prize for the best 4BBB score went to the pair of Tony Lount and our very own Honorary Secretary, Andrew Thurston with a score of 50 points.  This was of particular note as Andrew was not down to play but stood in at the very last minute when the Society Captain still failed to make an appearance. I am pleased to report that John is safe and well but confused - he had the wrong date!!

Par 3 – Nearest the Pins - Simon Partridge, Andrew Thurston, Nick Lacey and Phil Brown

Par 4 – Nearest the Pins in Two - Nick Lacey and Martin Anderson