2025 Tournament

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THE 18TH ICKLESHAM CASUALS GOLF TOURNAMENT

The 18th Icklesham Casuals Golf Tournament took place at Eastbourne Downs Golf Club, a new venue for the competition, on the warm but windy afternoon (and evening!) of Friday, 4th July and attracted ten participants (with a total of 3078 Club appearances between them including the combined 3 of Nick and Jeff!).

The competitors met up at 1.30 pm for sandwiches and chips with tee times from 2.32 pm. Bob Baker advised players of their individual handicaps (all gratefully accepted as usual), explained the rules of the competition and mentioned his Icklesham Casuals goal scoring record.

THE COMPETITORS

The players were spilt into two groups of three and a group of four. Bob Baker, Dave Coombes and Steve Fuller made up the opening group followed by Jeff Beale, Nick Sparks and Hugh Sullivan with Steve Beale, Tony Forster, David Mayne and Andy Vickers last out with Bob, as defending champion, striking the opening tee-shot.

The ten players teed-off with varying decrees of success, the contours of the course taking a number of balls into the rough on the right-hand side – some not to be seen again – while Jeff Beale and Hugh Sullivan decided to make use of the fairway on the left (the 18th fairway!). David Mayne’s tee shot was placed in perfect position in the middle of the fairway but not wanting the miss out he sliced his second into the rough.

On the 1st tee…..

Eastbourne Downs is a picturesque but challenging course especially in the wind but the scoring was good and in the group of four, Steve Beale recorded two birdies and two pars, Tony Forster eight pars and Andy Vickers five with all four players parring the uphill par 3 eighth hole.

Despite the protestations about handicaps, the event was closely contested with only eleven stableford points separating the ten competitors. Hugh Sullivan, who visited a wide variety of rough in the first twelve holes in search of potentially a record number of lost balls (the number 25 was mentioned!), suddenly found form from the thirteenth scoring an amazing fourteen points on the final six holes including a birdie on the 17th and par on the 18th to win the competition for holes 13 to 18.

It was not quite enough for Hugh to take the title, but gave him third place with 28 points, just one behind runner-up Nick Sparks on 29. The trophy was won for the first time by Steve Fuller who scored on every hole to finish with a total of 31 points.

Bob Baker, receiving a severe handicap as defending champion, took the wooden spoon for last place, but won the prize for nearest the pin on the 12th hole. Tony Forster took the longest drive prize.

The rounds were long, with the group of four finishing at 7.30 pm and were only able to get a drink as the bar, which usually shuts at 7.30, stayed open late specially to accommodate them!

It was another enjoyable golf event and so good to meet up with friends once again. For the eighteenth time thanks go to Bob Baker for his organisation of the tournament and to Tony Forster for arranging the details with Eastbourne Downs Golf Club.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Group photograph…..