I am writing to outline the arrangements for the playing of the 2019 Halford Hewitt Cup. The Committee met recently and confirmed the date of the AGM and Draw for Wednesday 9th January 2019. The Committee has set this year’s entry fee at £940. As was the case last year, this includes a sum of £20 which will be allocated to a special Hewitt “Centenary Fund” in order to build up a suitable reserve for the appropriate celebrations in 2024.
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 2019.
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. Furthermore your attention is drawn to the Peter Kenyon Bowl which is held at Littlestone GC each year and which is open to supporters as well as competitors. Further details are given below.
Society Secretaries 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 me and not the Secretaries of the host Clubs, as near as possible to your requested times. 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 drawsheet will be available from both clubhouses from the Tuesday practice day onwards.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOLFING SOCIETY
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.
The Peter Kenyon Bowl will be played at Littlestone Golf Club from Tuesday to Thursday, 9th to 11th April. This is a Stableford competition played off handicap and is open to any pair from the same school. As with the Plate, competitors do not have to have played in the Halford Hewitt which makes this an excellent opportunity for supporters to play some golf during the week. An additional entry fee which includes the green-fee is payable to Littlestone GC.
Please note the following non-retrospective guidelines for eligibility in the competition:
1) Anyone under 18 on the first day of the competition will be ineligible.
2) Contestants must have spent a minimum of 3 full terms or the equivalent of one full curriculum year as a pupil at a Hewitt participating school between the ages of 13 and 18.
3) Entry can only be made from one school ad infinitum and it is considered against the spirit of the competition for a contestant to represent two separate schools in different competitions.
4) Contestants must be a Member of their Old School Society or its equivalent.
The Hon Secretary of each Society must return the enclosed entry form to me at the above address together with a cheque for £940 to cover green fees for all competitors, entry for the Princes Plate Competition, staff gratuities, and general expenses. This also includes a nominal amount of £20 per team which will be allocated to the Halford Hewitt Centenary Fund and used to fund the centenary celebrations in 2024. The cheque should be made payable to the “Public Schools Golfing Society”. Payments may be made electronically 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.
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.
Please submit entries by Monday 10th December 2018.
The 2019 Annual General Meeting, followed by the draw, will be held in the Smoking Room (on the first floor), at the East India, Devonshire, Sports and Public Schools Club, 16 St James’s Square, London, SW1 on Wednesday 9th January 2019 at 6:00pm. A special bar for the Society’s exclusive use will be prepared in the Clive Room on the ground floor.
