The Paviors entered a team in the annual Horners’ Challenge inter-livery golf match on Wednesday 15 June. The match was held at the Ashridge Golf Club in Hertfordshire, which is on of the top 100 courses in the UK.
The club has had two celebrity professionals. Henry Cotton was the club professional in the late 1930s and, more recently, the well-known TV-commentator Alex Hay held the position. The course measures 6,678 yards and with a par of 72.
The annual competition is organized by the Worshipful Company of Horners and the Paviors’ team, together with teams from 12 other livery companies, teed off at 9am with a shotgun start. The course was in fine condition, with greens running true, but the long grass in the rough created real challenges for those wandering off the fairway. The Paviors golf team comprised Jim Cook (Paviors’ Golf Society Captain), Simon Clubb, Doug Weston and Frank Loughlin, who collectively amassed 78 points (best two stableford scores per hole) by the end of the round. Following an excellent lunch in the clubhouse, the results were announced and the Paviors’ team were runners-up and received prizes of vintage wine and golf balls! The winners of the Horners’ Trophy this year were the team from the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers with 82 points.
Next year, we will be looking forward again to the challenge.