27th December 2023
To all Hon Secretaries and Team Captains,
2024 HALFORD HEWITT CUP AND HEWITT CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
I am writing to outline the arrangements for the playing of the 2024 Halford Hewitt Cup and to communicate more about the Committee’s plans to celebrate the Hewitt Centenary.
Hewitt Centenary 2024
The Committee is proposing to celebrate the centenary of the Hewitt in 2024 in a number of ways. Firstly the 2024 draw will take place over dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Wednesday 10th January 2024.
Secondly there will be a cocktail party at Royal Cinque Ports GC on Wednesday 10th April 2024 during which suitable presentations will be made to the host clubs to mark the occasion. The Committee has arranged for 64 flagpoles to be erected along the side of the road to the right of the first hole at Deal. Each school is requested to bring a flag to fly during the Centenary Hewitt Week. For those schools that do not have their own flag, one will be provided.
There will also be a Centenary Book produced at the end of 2024 which will include coverage of the Centenary Celebrations.
Halford Hewitt 2024
The date of the AGM and Draw is conformed for Wednesday 10th January 2023 at the Grosvenor House Hotel as part of the Centenary Dinner beginning at 5.30pm.
The Committees of the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club and the Royal St. George’s Golf Club have kindly agreed to the Competition being played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11th – 14th April 2024.
The Members and Committees of the host clubs have generously allowed the Society the courtesy of their courses as free of charge practice days for the selected Halford Hewitt team players only on Tuesday 9th April (when Club Members also have allocated starting times) and Wednesday 10th April. There are conditions of play on each of the two days, and in particular on the Tuesday, which Society Members must ensure they observe.
Society supporters who have not been selected to represent their Society team in the Halford Hewitt are not allowed to use an allocated practice starting time not taken up by their Society on either day although they may do so on payment of a green fee.
Society Secretaries and team captains are requested to stress that any Member of their Society Hewitt team wishing to avail themselves of the free practice rounds is fully conversant with the conditions which apply to the day in question and under which play is permitted. These conditions will be circulated to all Society Secretaries who in turn must please advise their Team Captain, whose responsibility it is to circulate the other Members of his team.
Practice times for Tuesday will be allocated by the Hon Secretary and not the Secretaries of the host Clubs, as near as possible to your requested times. Bookings for Tuesday times will not be taken before Thursday 11th January 2024. Initially not more than two starting times will be allocated, although reservations for additional times will be taken following the draw and then confirmed a few weeks before the Hewitt.
The Wednesday practice rounds are allocated to Schools in draw order. Please note that ALL the Wednesday practice rounds are now limited to 3 balls in play i.e. 4 balls are not permitted. Practice times for the Tuesday and Wednesday will be published on the Halford Hewitt website. The Committee requests that any team not taking up their practice time should notify the Hon Secretary as soon as possible so that their time may be reallocated.
Green drawcards, brown Plate drawcards and the poster-size draw-sheet will be available from both clubhouses from the Tuesday practice day onwards.
Matches will be played by foursomes with each School providing 5 pairs. Each round will be over 18 holes knock-out, and any halved match must immediately continue playing until one School has won 3 matches outright. Each School’s order of play (including the name of the team Captain) must be handed in to the Secretary’s office at the Club at which the match takes place, at least half an hour before the start of the match.
The Prince’s Plate competition for all teams that have been beaten in the first round of the Halford Hewitt, is regarded by the Committee as an integral part of the week. Team Captains are requested to field a full team of six players for each round in which they play. Please remember that players in the Plate do not have to have played in the Halford Hewitt.
Please note the following non-retrospective guidelines for eligibility in the competition:-
|
The Hon Secretary of each Society should return the enclosed entry form to me at the above address together with a payment for £1,600 to cover green fees for all competitors, entry for the Princes Plate Competition, staff gratuities, and general expenses as well as the final £500 centenary levy. Payment would be preferred by electronic transfer to the PSGS, account number 01723503, sort code 30-98-26. Please ensure you put the school name as a reference, initials are not a unique identification. Cheques should be made payable to the Public Schools Golfing Society and sent to me at 1 Bruce Grove, Orpington, Kent BR6 0HF.
Please ensure that your entry form details your accommodation arrangements, including a telephone number and the full name and address of your Hewitt team Captain. ENTRY FORM
Please submit entries by Tuesday 9th January 2024 and payment of entry fee by Wednesday 31st January.
The 2024 Annual General Meeting, followed by the draw, will be held prior to the Centenary Dinner in The Grosvenor House Hotel on Wednesday 10th January 2024. The event will start with a champagne reception at 5.30pm.
NICK OWEN
Hon Secretary, Public Schools Golfing Society
