Facts and Feats

Facts and Feats

Holes in One

Charlie H Ward became the first person to ‘hole in one’ twice in the British Open Championship. He had a ‘hole in one’ at St Andrews in 1946 on the 8th hole at 163 yards and repeated the feat at the 13th 155 yard hole at Muirfield in 1948.

R.A. Woolmer holed his Tee Shot at the 7th hole (152 yards) at Old Ford Manor.

Sqn Ldr Iles R.A.F also did the twelfth (211 yards) at Bramshott playing for the R.A.F against bramshott.

During a Society match against the Civil Service and Lincolnshire County at Woodhall Spa Liam Pucill attracted slight attention with a ‘hole in one’ at the 8th during his match with Mark Rimmer. Striking a 5 iron 192 yards without deviation the ball went straight into the hole!

The highlight of the morning round at Sleaford GC during the 2009 Inter-Station finals Paul Gibson had a hole in one on the 5th hole.

William Iestyn Tucker had a reported total of 26 aces in his career.

Henry Cotton achieved 18 holes in one

Peter Alliss achieved 7 holes in one

Laddie Lucas achieved 6 holes in one

John Jacobs achieved 6 holes in one

Jimmy Adams achieved 6 holes in one

Ronnie White achieved 1 hole in one

2 Consecutive Holes in One

Wing-Commander T. R. Vickers, of Wye. Kent, did two consecutive holes-in-one. at the 3rd and 4th on the R.A.F. Changi golf course in Singapore yesterday. The third hole 100 yards and the fourth 130 yards.— Reuter.

Belfast News-Letter – Wednesday 14 June 1950

John Mumford – Double Aces

RAF Golf Championship – Magic

Three players – Steve Beveridge, Alf Ruddle and Paul Keating – all hit a Hole in One on their 36th hole, the 194 yard par-3 18th on the Saunton West Course during the 1998 RAF Golf Championship? Really!!!

A Win in every Rank

Cecil Beamish won at least one competition in every rank from Pilot Officer to AVM, except for Flt Lt when WW2 intervened. (Source: RAF News)

Sqn Ldr Mike Rudd is flying high and why not.

In 2006 the two-handicap golfer Mike Rudd got the brace to beat all one-shot wonders when he bagged two holes in one in one round. Indeed, Rudd posted his ace achievement with the same five iron and within five holes of the inward nine at his favourite Fulford Golf Club.

Rudd’s rampage on the back nine at Fulford came in the last of the two-round club championship and an incoming card that read: 1, 6, 4, 5, 1, 5, 7, 4 and 4.

Young Winners

Pam Barton won the 1934 French Ladies Open at the age of 17 and 2 years later won the British and American Women’s Championship at 19.

Lowest Scores

When Henry Cotton won the open Championship in 1934 for the first time at Royal St Georges he recorded a new record for the lowest score in an Open Championship. The score of 65 prompted the then Dunlop Corporation to introduce a new ball called the “Dunlop 65“. The record as held until 1977 when Mark Hayes recorded a 63 at Turnberry in 1977.

William Iestyn Tucker had a reported total of 15 course records at different clubs.

Iestyn Tucker recorded a gross score of 59 in a Medal round at Cardiff GC (SSS 68) on 25 Oct 72

Family Achievements

The Bentley Brothers

The Bentley Brothers Harry and Arnold both won the Amateur Championship the only brothers to achieve this. Harry won in 1936 and played in the Walker Cup at Pine Valley and halved his single match. He was the only British success in the singles. He also played in the winning British team 2 years later. Arnold won the British title in 1939.

Stanley Lunt

Stanley Lunt and his son Michael both won the English Amateur Championship in 1934 and Michael in 1966. In addition Michael won the British Amateur in 1963 and was runner up a year later.

Air Commodore Alfred Cecil Critchley and Diana Fishwick

Diana Fishwick [Video], British Women’s Champion in 1930 and English Champion in 1932 is the mother of Bruce Critchley British and English International and semi-finalist in the 1970 British Amateur Championship at Royal County Down. Diana was the third wife of Cecil Critchley founder of the Greyhound Racing Association

Lowest 9 Holes

Tom Haliburton scored the lowest for 9 holes in 1958 at Royal Lytham on the front 9.

Charles Victor Lisle Hooman

Charles Hooman known as (Chubby) who played in the first Walker Cup match won the only game in the entire series which went to extra holes also won a Blue at oxford, 1909-10. He helped Kent to win the County Championship and played for the Gentlemen in the same year that he played golf for England.

Golf Club Professionals

From	To	Professional	Assistant	Name of Club
1952	1975	Tom Haliburton		Wentworth
			Tom Haliburton	Haggs Castle, Prestwick
		Henry Cotton	Tom Haliburton	Ashridge

Club Captains and Executives

Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Dehnin

By Kind Permission from Aircrew Remembered

Geoffrey Howard Dhenin was born on April 2 1918, the day after the formation of the RAF, and educated at Hereford Cathedral School and St John’s College, Cambridge. He completed his medical studies at Guy’s Hospital in London.

He joined the RAF in February 1943 as a junior medical officer and served on bomber stations in Lincolnshire. One night in October 1943, a Lancaster bomber had to return from a raid with an engine failure and crashed near the airfield, disintegrating and catching fire.

Dhenin was immediately on the scene with an RAF Regiment gunner to find the injured rear gunner trapped in his crushed turret. Although there was a high explosive bomb in the blazing wreckage, Dhenin administered medical aid as he and the airman tried to release the man. For 30 minutes they worked in the intense heat before a crane arrived to lift the wreckage. Dhenin then crawled under the raised wreckage and released the gunner, one of only two survivors of the seven-man crew.

Dhenin was later awarded the George Medal; his colleague received a BEM for gallantry.

Two days after D-Day, Dhenin joined a mobile field hospital, and throughout the campaign in north-west Europe was involved in evacuating casualties by air. He was mentioned in despatches.

In 1945 he trained as a pilot, and was one of a few doctors to be employed as a Flying Medical Officer. After serving on bomber stations and at the Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough, in 1950 he joined No 1 Flying College Course for experienced senior aircrew. His ability was recognised when, on graduation, he was appointed to the staff. He then qualified as a senior specialist in radiology and in 1953 went to HQ Bomber Command, where he was the Deputy Principal Medical Officer (Flying).

Dhenin commanded the RAF Hospital in Cyprus from 1960 to 1963 before returning to Britain to take charge of the hospital at Ely. In 1968 he served as Director of Health Research at the MoD and in 1970 was appointed Honorary Physician to the Queen.

For three years from 1971 he was the Principal Medical Officer at RAF Strike Command, and during this period was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine. In 1974 he was promoted to air marshal; for four years he served as Director-General of Medical Services (RAF), the first active pilot to hold the post.

He was appointed KBE in 1975 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Dhenin retired from the RAF in 1978 and for two years was Adviser, National Guard, Royal Saudi Air Force.

A keen sportsman, he was president of the RAF’s Sub-Aqua Association and of its Judo Association. In 1981 he was captain of Wentworth Golf Club; he continued to ski until he was in his eighties.

Percy Oliver Green (POV)

Percy Oliver Green (POV) as well as being on the RAFGS Committee for many years was also Executive Managing Director of Woburn Golf Club in 1981. Link to POV Green

Iestyn Tucker

Iestyn Tucker was President of the Welsh Golf Union in 1987

Air Commodore Freddie West VC

Captain of Sunningdale Golf Club

Captain Hamish Pelham-Burn

Golf Captain at Harrow

Charles Hamish Pelham-Burn was born at Nairn, in the Highlands, on March 17 1918. He was brought up at Killiecrankie, Perthshire, and then at Kilmory Castle, Argyll. An idyllic childhood was interrupted by preparatory school in Sussex. He detested the place and, in the hope of being expelled, tried to burn it down. He was beaten instead. After Harrow, where he was captain of golf and in the cricket XI, he went to Sandhurst and was subsequently commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders and posted to the 2nd Battalion

To escape from the tedium of regimental soldiering, Pelham-Burn volunteered for a temporary transfer to the RAF and was sent to flying school. He became adept at crosswind landings, sideslipping, stalling, spinning and aerobatics and was the first on the course to be allowed to go solo. But he disliked the strain of having to fly in formation.

After his SOE operation in Brittany, he succeeded in getting himself posted back to the RAF and learned to fly Wellingtons. His final appointment was as SOE liaison officer at Shaef, Versailles.

Squadron Leader Larry Lewis DFM, DFC

Born: October 25th 1918 in Bristol. Died: May 12th 2014. Age 95

Squadron Leader Larry Lewis, earned the DFM as an air gunner before training as a pilot after picking up air crash survivors from behind Japanese-held lines in Siam, he was awarded the DFC.

He and his wife were very involved in village life at Green Street Green, including at St Mary’s Church, the Horticultural Society and, in particular, Sevenoaks Golf Club where Lewis was a Life President.

Flight Lieutenant Denis Cayford DFC

Born: March 16th 1918 Wolverhampton. Died: August 30th 2010 Age 92

Flight Lieutenant Denis Cayford, specialist navigator in the Pathfinder Force during the Second World War; shot down and captured, he took part in the Great Escape and was near the exit of the tunnel when it was discovered.

A low handicap golfer, he was captain of the Aero Golfing Society in 1983. He enjoyed his garden and retained a keen interest in flying and classic cars.

Ladies Golf – Contribution to War Effort

The ladies’ golf magazine, Fairway and Hazard, which saw itself as ‘The official organ of the Ladies Golf Union’, was more active than the actual LGU and ran throughout the conflict. It was instrumental in establishing ‘The Golfers Spitfire Fund’ and raised a large amount of money. In the January 1941 issue this fund was £155, although it is unclear whether this is a total fund or simply the quarter’s raising. The August 1941 issue reports that a cheque for £15,506.13s.11d had been sent to the Ministry of Aircraft as well as £167. 185. 2d to the RAF Benevolent Fund. The amount sent was significant as it cost around £800 to build a Supermarine Spitfire.

Sgt Clarence Leslie Atkins

Son of William W. and Mary. Atkins of Glasgow Scotland. Known as Leslie and had one brother, Clarence(a sister and other brother both died at a young age) Leslie was a keen sportsman, a scratch golfer and club champion believed to have been at the Williamwood Golf Club in Glasgow. He turned down a commission in the RAF preferring to retain his Sergeant.

Enid Wilson

Enid Wilson was, among later feats, England Girls Champion in 1925.