Society members offer memories of past escapades. If you would like to contribute to this page, please send your recollections, including any photos, to the
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There are too many stories for one page now, so click the golden links above for a page of stories from that decade.
The Year
The Stories
July 2005
Calcot Park
A WORLD RECORD
It was Captain’s Day and Brian Woodham declared a Yellow Ball Competition. Each threeball received a yellow ball which each person played for a hole in turn. The team scoring the most Stableford points with the ball after 18 holes wins.
One group was overheard discussing tactics: “If you play second then you will also play the two long par threes,” or, “You play a fade from the tee so you should play the dogleg seventeenth,” and so on. Eventually they agreed a cunning plan: give the ball to their strongest player on the first hole. Up he stepped, made a good swing, hit the ball off the middle... and hooked it into the houses beyond the boundary of the (very) wide fairway.
Thus Nick Buse set the world record for the shortest-lived yellow ball, which stands to this day.
April 2007
Hockley
THE PINK TROUSERS
Paul Stewart writes: As a current employee of IBM, I am a more recent convert to the IBM BGS having first heard of it in 2006. The society is one that I encourage employees to be part of as I think they would enjoy it as much as I do.
Terry Wall and I have had a friendly rivalry for the lowest gross score in each event since we first met at Corhampton in 2006. The winner of the previous event wears a pink shirt the following time out. Honours are pretty even so far.
Having whipped his a[natomy] at Alresford in April 2007 (OK, so he wasn't actually there but I would have done), I thought I'd go one better for the next event and get some pink trousers too. They arrived on the day of the Hockley event and the look on Terry's face when he saw them was worth every penny.
But more importantly, it made everyone laugh which was the whole idea.
June 2007
London to Paris
ACTION MAN
As well as running the Society during 2007, Captain Ken Crookes joined 400 like-minded lunatics who cycled
510 km between London and Paris for charity, arriving the same weekend
as the Tour de France.
Cheating only once (taking a ferry from Calais
to Dover) he completed every stage early. The final leg saw
him escorted by men in white vans down the Champs Elysee, around the
Arc de Triomphe, and on to the Eiffel Tower, where he promptly got
off his bike and threw it in the Seine (click photo to enlarge).
His efforts raised a total of £1980 for Action Medical Research.
1988-2008
IBM National
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
In 1988, our first year as a Society, not many members made it through the IBM National Qualifier. Tony Woolcott went as reserve with a chance of playing in the Final.
Several weeks later, playing in a society competition at Hindhead, Tony was asked how he got on.
"Oh," he said, "actually, I won."
In 1994, BGS member Keith Dunn won at Dunbar, in 2000 Chris Jaques won at Blairgowrie, followed by Terry Wall at the Warwickshire in 2001. Lacking Tony's modesty, everyone knew about Terry's win very quickly!
In 2008 five members qualified for the IBM National and two more as reserves. Rona Barford, one of the reserves, made it into the final and became only the second lady to win the tournament in 39 years with a stunning nett -7 for 36 holes at Frilford Heath.
(click to see more of Rona)
June 2008
Hankley Common
ACE IN THE HOLE
Rupert Tomkins and Ken Crookes lined up for the second round of the singles knockout at Hankley Common on D-Day - June 6th. Little did they know that history would be made again. Rupert stole the match with a stunning hole in one on the 120 yard par 3 2nd. But the ball won't be in his trophy case. He lost it on the next hole.
July 2008
Basingstoke GC
ACE IN THE HOLE II
During the 2008 3-way match for the Silver Jubilee Cup, while playing with IBM Surrey & Sussex Captain John Slater and IBM Hursley Captain Andy Murphy, our own Captain Mike Bell aced the 12th at Basingstoke Golf Club, using a five iron to hole out on the 184 yard par 3. Unfortunately, John Slater missed the excitement as he wasn't wearing his glasses!
June 2008
Pyrenees
A GRAND DAY OUT
Captain Mike Bell and four friends walked a 100 mile section of Grand Randonnée 10 through the Pyrenees. The challenging trek included climbing 30,000 feet - without a buggy! Click the image to see amazing photos from their trip.
Mike raised £946.54 from this endeavour for Rowans Hospice.
September 2008
Fairway to Green
HIGH SOCIETY
IBMBGS was featured in the September 2008 edition of Fairway to Green magazine. Click the image to download the article.
July 2009
Chobham
SIX POINT STAR
While playing a Society matchplay game against Mike Houghton and Paul Holmes, Paul Staples had an eagle three on the par 5, Stroke Index 2, 9th hole at Chobham.
"He hit a flawless drive, a four iron to the centre of the green and one putt. Perfection. He didn't do much else, though. We lost 3 & 1," allowed partner Dave McCormick.
Off his handicap it would have been SIX points in Stableford play. The other three insist his achievement should go into the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, there's no category for holes-in-three. Immortality on the Stories page will have to do.
