On Monday 25 September, fifty golfers took in the last of the summer sun and met at the prestigious Royal Ashdown Golf Course for the tenth annual RGSP Golf Day. Our thanks to Ralph James for sponsoring the event and to the generosity of our players, who helped us raise an incredible £8,000.

Bacon rolls and coffee were on hand to start the day, as our golfers registered their teams, collected their brightly coloured Thunderball and purchased mulligans and raffle tickets. It was a beautiful day and the breeze over the fairway made for a pleasant stroll as players took to their starting tees for a 10am shotgun start. It is a tough course, and our golfers had some challenging hills to climb. RGS Foundation Office Manager, Clare awaited our golfers at the 14^th hole for the ‘Par 3 Challenge’: hit the ball and keep it on the green (no bouncing or rolling off), in one shot, to win a bottle of Silent Pool gin. An astonishing 12 players achieved this and we made sure we captured some action shots as they took their swing. Refreshments were brought round the course by Jodie, RGS Foundation Community Officer, ensuring our golfers were well hydrated and everyone was pleased to see the buggy arrive at their tee laden with snacks and cold beverages.

Congratulations go to our sponsors, Ralph James for winning the team competition with an incredible 92 points, and notably, playing one person down. To top this, Chris Stamp won the longest drive competition on the 12^th hole and Robin Watson won the nearest-the-pin competition on the 6^th hole. It was a Ralph James day!

The Thunderball Challenge however proved to be a little harder and only one team managed to keep their ball from falling victim to the beautiful, but unforgiving, landscape of Ashdown Forest. Congratulations to the winners, David Hylton (RGS Parent), Greg Poole (RGS ‘99), David Cockbain (RGS ‘99) and Fin McCartney (RGS ‘18).

Lastly, a very big round of applause goes to Richard Clews (friend of RGS) and owner of Ashworth and Bird, who got a hole in one on the 9^th hole. What an outstanding effort!

Back at the clubhouse, everyone freshened up and made their way to the terrace for a cold drink before a delicious dinner was served in the dining room. Jonny Hylton, RGS Foundation Director, thanked everyone for coming and talked about how important the RGS Professionals Group is in bringing our Reigatians together through business and networking. With RGSP Chairman, Matt Lowe (RGS ‘97) in attendance, Jonny spoke of how we plan on growing our members and establishing a stronger network globally. Finally with a nod to our upcoming event, An Evening Under the Arches, and the plans to unveil our ten-year philanthropic celebration, Jonny wrapped up the day with the auction and raffle. Thank you to everyone that kindly donated prizes for both and to everyone for coming along and supporting the event. Click here for pictures from the event.

Next year’s RGS Professionals Golf Day will be held in September 2024 (date TBC). Please email foundation@www.rgs.foundation to register your interest.