Team Finals Weekend @ Winter Hill Golf Club – 12-14 September 2026
The annual running competition finals returned to Winter Hill Golf Club, near Maidenhead, for a second year. Competition was over the period Saturday 12, Sunday 13 and Monday 14 September 2025. There were 11 trophies on offer over the 3 days with some very good golf played.
It’s not easy to reach the finals so well done to all who made it. In total we had 19x 4ball bookings on Saturday, 16 bookings on Sunday and 11 bookings on Monday to facilitate 184 players in total; some of whom were doubling up in competitions.
Events kicked off on Saturday 12 September with the Hawtree Mixed Greensomes, Siemens Bowl Men’s Better Ball and the Ballantyne Men’s Match Play. We teed off the day bang on time at 10:34am and all groups were round within the 4h30m time limit allowed. Weather was good and the course was presented in great condition, having quickly recovered from the long dry summer spell.
The opening event was the mixed Hawtree Trophy, our most historic team trophy, consisting of four pairs per team playing greensomes stableford with scores aggregated for the team score. Qualifying this year was through regional finals with five teams invited to the final – Portsmouth, Haste Hill and Huntswood from the Stockley Park event and Abbey Hill and Huntswood from the Batchwood Hall event. Scoring was reasonably close early on, but Portsmouth with an exceptional 45 points in their last group and total of 153 eventually blew the field away. Abbey Hill on 137 were clear in second spot with Huntswood A on 131, Huntswood B on 130 and Haste Hill on 129 bring up the tail. It was the first time since 2009 that Portsmouth lifted this trophy.
The Siemens Bowl, which is a men’s four ball better ball, aggregate stableford competition was the second event up. It was contested by four clubs, Huntswood, Haste Hill, Basildon and Tilgate Forest who had battled through the knock-out stages. With Rose Hill who had won the event for the previous four years there was an opportunity for a different name on the trophy. Scoring was mixed and ranged between 32 and 42 points per pair. Haste Hill posted a score of 153 which was good enough to win, though Huntswood ensured it was a tight finish their final pair scoring 42 points to give a 152 total. Basildon posted a respectable 149 and Tilgate Forest 143. The victory for Haste Hill was their first in this competition which has been competed for since 2009.
Our final event of the day was the Ballantyne Trophy men’s team event. This event consists of three pairs per club playing better ball match play. Richmond Park the defending champions were up against a strong Wycombe team. All matches were close and with the score at 1-1 the outcome rested with the final pair on the 18th green. It was Richmond Park who came out victorious winning 2-1.
Sunday 13 September, again a warm day but with showers interplaying, played host to the finals of the women’s Whitewebbs Bowl and men’s Clapham Common Platinum Shield. We again teed off on time and pleasingly speed of play was again good overall. As usual there was a great buzz around the venue with eager expectation.
The women’s Whitewebbs Bowl, which comprises four women from each club playing better ball stableford to give an aggregate two pair score for each club was our first event on Sunday. Our four national finalists as area winners were Huntswood, Portsmouth, Hoebridge and Wycombe Heights, with all apart from Wycombe Heights being previous winners of this event. Scoring was once again exceptionally close with only 5 points covering all teams. Hoebridge with scores of 40 and 41 for an 81 point total were our winners, with Portsmouth on 79 points our runners up for the second year running. Wycombe Heights finished on 77 and Huntswood on 76. Hoebridge’s last win in this event was 2021.
The Clapham Common is our oldest men’s team competition dating back to 1948. It comprises six pair aggregate stableford greensomes. The four area winners contesting the final this year were; Rose Hill, Wycombe Heights, Panshanger and Belhus Park. The wind picked up a bit and this was generally reflective in the scoring, though the first Wycombe Pair managed 45 points. Panshanger meanwhile were strong throughout and emerged as our winners with a massive score of 237. Wycombe Heights took the Ellis Cup with 233. Rose Hill scored 213 and Belhus Park 187. It was the first time Wycombe Heights have won the Ellis Cup while Panshanger previously lifted the Clapham Common Shield in 2003 and 2023.
On Monday 14 September our final competitions of the team series were contested with the Senior Men’s Mitchell-Thomson and our four one pair match play events; Women’s Greensomes, Women’s Better Ball, Mixed Better Ball and Men’s Better Ball. It was a little cooler weatherwise, and play was slower because of a club match in front of our times, but the overall pace of play was good.
The Men’s Seniors Mitchell-Thomson final was first up with our finalists Rose Hill, Farnham Park, Belhus Park and Rickmansworth, who had won their regional events. The event comprises four pairs for each team, aged 55+, playing stableford greensomes with the combined scores from each team deciding the eventual champions. Rose Hill got off to a good start and this continued through the team with scores of 42, 39, 39 and 36 for what was a big winning 156 total. Rickmansworth came a gallant second on 145, while Belhus Park scored 139 and defending
champions Farnham Park 134. This was the second time Rose Hill have lifted this trophy, their previous victory coming in 2024.
The match play events followed with the Women’s Greensomes single pair event first up and our finalist clubs this year Easthampstead Ladies and Thorney Park. It was a close match which was decided on the 18th green with Easthampstead Ladies coming through to win. This is the third time Easthampstead Ladies have lifted this trophy.
The Women’s Better Ball single pair match play event was next up, with Batchwood Hall and Warley Woods the finalists this year. This match was also very close and again decided on the 18th green where Warley Woods sealed victory.
Our new event the Mixed Better Ball single pair match play event followed with Haste Hill and Bird Hills contesting the final. It was a close match that also went to the 18th hole where Bird Hills emerged as our inaugural winners.
The final event of the weekend was the Men’s Better Ball single pair match play event where Rickmansworth and Huntswood were our finalists. Huntswood got ahead early and once there battled their way to a decisive win lifting the trophy for the third time in 10 years.
Summary closing remarks: At the risk of sounding repetitive, it was great to see so many players competing at the finals. Congratulations to all who made the finals and even more so those who lifted the trophies. Like last year no club won more than one trophy, so 11 different winners. Beyond this our thanks go out to all clubs, players and organisers who played in, supported and managed events and matches over the course of the year.
From an organisational perspective it’s a significant task running the team series, from boking the venue, taking entries, managing ko rounds and then organising and running the finals. Many thanks therefore to all the NAPGC competition organisers and management team who have tirelessly worked throughout the year and at the finals.
This was the second year for the finals at Winter Hill and we must say a huge thankyou to the team there for presenting the course in such good shape. We are going a little further north to The Welcombe next year and hope that some of you will be back for another crack at the titles.
Regards
Stuart Cella, Secretary NAPGC
