Senior’s Opens – Occurring annually (sometimes there are two!). These are open to every senior golfer with a WHS handicap and are an opportunity for golfers from other clubs to play the course. A great fundraiser for the Seniors Section it requires some voluntary effort in advance and on the day to make it a success – ask the Captain or Competition Secretary how you can help.
The Seniors Invitation Day – A 4BBB pairs competition, members can invite one or more guests to play the course with them, a pair may not include two members. This is a fundraiser and an opportunity to keep the course on the radar of players from other clubs, volunteering can make this a success.
Captains’ Drive In – The season opener. The new Ladies and Gents captains introduce themselves to the membership in this good natured and social event usually followed by a buffet.
Captains’ Drive Out – The season end. The captains last playing duty before the winter season, another sociable event usually with food
Eclectics – We currently run three Eclectic events – each made up of five rounds. The aggregated scores are provided after each round. Each round of the eclectic is a competition in its own right with its own prizemoney so members can play in any or all legs, the additional prize for winning the eclectic is only awarded if four of the legs take place.
NNGL Seniors League
We play in the Seniors Division of the North Northumberland Golf League – these are competitive matches where the Captain/Vice Captain chooses a team to win. Although this doesn’t mean only fielding low handicappers, a strategic mix of high and low handicappers can be a potent force.
Friendly Matches
We also play a series of friendly matches against other local clubs, a great opportunity to play other courses at a knockdown price – the cost of lunch. You definitely don’t have to be a scratch golfer, these are designed to be friendly and fun. The Captain/Vice Captain attempts to pick his teams so that everybody gets to play at some point across the season, people playing in the home fixtures are given some priority in respect of away fixtures. Home Fixtures are played on our “normal” days (currently Mondays and Wednesdays) and away fixtures on days decided by the host club.
Note Where League Matches and Friendlies are taking place on days where other Seniors Competitions also take place the alternative competition will be a qualifying competition but Order of Merit points will not be awarded
Trophy Competitions – (all suggested dates are guides only).
Victory in any of the following Trophy competitions (Singles only) qualifies the holder for a place in the Victor Ludorum.
The Spring Shield – the first competition of the season, usually takes place in April, is a drawn individual Stableford competition off the yellow tees.
4 Club Trophy – end Apr/early May, competitors must choose which four clubs to use in this drawn individual Stableford competition off the yellow tees, A putter, if you need one, counts as one of the four clubs.
The Matchplay Pairs – This is a knockout competition where entry is in Pairs and the competition drawn at the beginning of May. The competition is played off the White Tees.
To enter the Matchplay Pairs there is an entry criterion that both players in the pair have each played in 6 of the Seniors Competitions in the previous year.
The Matchplay Pairs – This is a knockout competition where entry is in Pairs and the competition drawn at the beginning of May. The competition is played off the White Tees. From each players’ WHS Index the course handicap for the white tees is determined and then the Fourball Matchplay handicap allowance of 90% is applied to each player’s course handicap to give their playing handicaps. The lowest handicapped plays off scratch with all other players receiving strokes for the difference between their playing handicap and that of the lowest handicap. See example in the table below:-
| Player | WHS index | White Course Handicap | Playing handicap (90% of course handicap) | Strokes received |
| A | 8.7 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
| B | 10.8 | 12 | (10.8) 11 | 2 |
| C | 25.8 | 29 | (26.1) 26 | 17 |
| D | 17.9 | 20 | 18 | 9 |
It is the responsibility of the first pair named to negotiate a date with their opponents. Rounds must usually be played by the deadlines laid down on the notice of competition and completed by the end of the season. In extremis it is possible to request an extension but the Competition Secretary’s decision is final.
The Matchplay Singles – drawn in May and played off the white tees, where the handicap allowance is the full difference between the highest and lowest handicapped player.
To enter the Matchplay Singles there is an entry criterion that a player has played in 6 of the Seniors Competitions in the previous year.
The first round may be set on a specific date and played as a Strokeplay Competition with the aim of reducing to an appropriate number (e.g. 32,16). Where the first round is played as a Strokeplay Competition the current Holder of the Trophy will be guaranteed a place in the draw for the knockout rounds. The knockout rounds must be completed by the deadlines laid down on the notice of competition and must be completed by the final date because the winner qualifies for the Victor Ludorum (see below). It is the responsibility of the first player named to negotiate a date with his opponent. Permission to extend the date must be requested from the Competition Secretary who may grant an extension or decide the tie by a coin toss.
The Ray Paterson Salver – [named in memory a late member] played mid May is a drawn individual Stableford competition off the yellow tees.
The Auld Yins Trophy – played in late May is a drawn individual Strokeplay competition off the Yellow Tees.
The Ivan Scott Trophy – [named in memory of a late member] is played in early June is a drawn individual Stableford Competition played off the yellow tees.
The Captains Trophy – played mid-June is a drawn individual Stableford competition played off the yellow tees; usually on the Monday following Captains’ weekend.
The Linden Trophy – played late June is a drawn individual Stableford competition played off the yellow tees.
The Memorial Trophy – is engraved with the names of members who have passed away as well as those of the winners. Played end Jun/early July this is a drawn individual Strokeplay competition off the yellow tees.
Past members whose names are added to the Trophy do not need to be incurrent membership but must not have joined another club after leaving Burgham Park
The Summer Trophy – played in the first half of July, this is a drawn individual Strokeplay competition played off the yellow tees.
The John Coleman Memorial Trophy, (aka The Cherry Tree Trophy). Entry is individual with players randomly drawn into pairs. Played in mid-July this 4BBB pairs competition is off the yellow tees. In recognition of John’s playing preference, there is no maximum handicap and all players receive full allowance.
The Strokeplay Championship – This is a two round Strokeplay competition, off the White tees, played in August. The first round is drawn and the scores at the end of that round determine the order of play in round two. Weather and fixtures permitting the two rounds will be played on the Monday and Wednesday of the same week
The Greenkeepers Cup – This individual Stableford competition played off the yellow tees in late August is not a drawn competition. The entry fee is double the normal amount so that the extra proceeds from this competition can be put towards an annual donation to the Greenkeepers.
The Charity Shield – This pairs competition played end Aug/early September is a 4BBB Stableford played off the yellow tees. Individual entry with pairings/tee times drawn, 90% allowance. The entry fee which is double the usual amount so the surplus can be donated to a charity nominated by the Committee. Suggestions for appropriate charities can be made to the Seniors Captain.
The Bogey Trophy – Played in early September this is a drawn individual Par/Bogey competition played off the yellow tees.
The Autumn Trophy – Played in mid-September, the last open trophy competition of the year is drawn and an individual Strokeplay off the Yellows.
The Summer Order of Merit – Points are awarded for most individual competitions from the Monday after the Captains Drive in until approximately two weeks before the Victor Ludorum (10pts for first, 9 for second etc down to 1 for everyone taking part, when players get the same score the points for the tied places are divided between them e.g. if the players in first, second and third places all get the same net score they will each get 9pts, the player in fourth will get 7pts). A current points total will be periodically updated on the website. (Points are not awarded for competitions taking place on the same day as Team Matches).
The Winter Order of Merit [The Jack Frost Trophy for Resilience and Perseverance] – Points are awarded for all of the individual competitions taking place between the Captains Drive Out and the Captains Drive In on the same basis as for the summer order of merit.
The Bird & Bottle – This stableford competition is played off the yellow tees in the run up to Christmas (ideally the week before the annual lunch and prizegiving) as a winter trophy competition with tee times and playing partners drawn.
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The Victor Ludorum – The Seniors’ season finale! This is an individual Strokeplay competition off the yellow tees open only to those who have won a trophy for a singles event during the preceding year( including the previous autumn’s Bird and Bottle and the Winter Order of Merit.
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Trophies are engraved with the winner’s name(s) and presented at an annual Christmas Lunch – funded by the Senior Section’s income from competitions. If they are taken away from the club, they are the members responsibility and should be returned in good condition when the pleasure of looking at them has worn off, and in any case in good time to be engraved for the next holder.
Given that space for the Christmas Lunch / prize presentation is limited to around 60, the admission criterion to the free annual Christmas Lunch is to that you must have played in at least 6 of the Seniors Competitions in the calendar year.