Sunningdale Golf Club members are in mourning after the death of one of their own. Former club captain and England cricket legend Ted Dexter CBE died on the 25 August at the age of 86. He had been a Sunningdale member since 1958.
Dexter’s cricket exploits are well known. He made his England debut in 1958 and played 62 times for his country, 30 of them as captain. He made 4,502 runs during his international career, posting a 47.89 average. He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1961 and went on to hold prominent positions in cricket following his retirement from playing, including Chairman of the England Selectors and President of the MCC.
The Cambridge University graduate wasn’t just adept with a cricket bat in his hands. He knew how to wield a golf club, too. There were those, including Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, who said he could have had the same success in golf as he had in cricket. Dexter disagreed. “People said I should have played golf and I’d have made a lot of money,†he once said. “I’d say that would have been unlikely. Temperamentally I was a bit flaky, even in my cricket game. Cricket’s kinder on the nerves. OK, it’s hard when you first go in, but once you’re in it’s lovely, isn’t it? Batting becomes an absolute pleasure. Whereas in golf you’re cruising along, then suddenly something happens and the nerves come rushing in. You’ve got to find a way of getting through those difficult phases.â€
As former Guardian cricket writer Matthew Engle noted in his obituary to the England legend, Dexter came within one missed putt of qualifying for the 1978 Open Championship at St Andrews.
Berkshire Golf Club professional Paul Anderson was an assistant professional at Sunningdale, and knew Dexter well.
“I was fortunate to play a lot of golf with Mr Dexter when I was an assistant at Sunningdale,†Anderson told GGP. “He was a real people person, a true gentleman. He was also a natural athlete, and an excellent golfer. I remember playing with him once and he said he’d watched Tom Weiskopf on television, and was going to swing like Weiskopf that day. He did just that and played as well as he did with his own golf swing. That’s how talented he was.â€
Dexter, who was born in Milan, Italy, was awarded a CBE in 2001 for his services to cricket. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in June 2021. He is survived by his wife, Susan, whom he was married to for 62 years, and by their two children.
Spectators at next year’s Open Championship at St Andrews will be allowed to leave and re-enter the Old Course in a reversal of policy by the governing body.
The R&A enforced a strict “no re-entry†code in recent years, whereby any spectator who left the golf course was not readmitted. The policy came into effect for the 2017 championship at Royal Birkdale, partly for security measures, and to try to stop unofficial “pirate†hospitality on the fringes of the championship.
The R&A’s stance caused much anger in Carnoustie in 2018, with local businesses claiming they were being denied trade during championship week.
However, with the Old Course’s close proximity to the town of St Andrews, enforcing a policy that prohibits re-admittance is more difficult than at other venues.
“We have reviewed our no re-admission policy following the Open at Royal St George’s,†an R&A spokesperson said. “We believe it has proved effective in deterring unofficial hospitality providers and protecting fans.
“In light of this, we have decided to amend the policy for the 150th Open at St Andrews and future championships. Ticketholders will be able to come and go from the venue.
“We will monitor the situation closely, however, and if these problems re-occur we will consider reinstating the policy.â€
Visitor rounds at British and Irish golf clubs have fallen in the first half of 2021, according to a survey conducted by BRS Golf and GolfNow, and reported by The Golf Business magazine. A review of approximately 1,900 clubs across the British Isles tracked visiting rounds for a three-year period from 2019.
Despite lockdown restrictions, there were nearly 350,000 visitor rounds during the first half of 2020, compared to slightly more than 100,000 in 2019. While the 2021 figure more than doubles the 2019 figure at just more than 250,000 rounds, it is a far cry short of 2020 numbers.
In a statement in The Golf Business, a BRS Golf spokesperson said: “The last two months have coincided with a relaxation of restrictions as the world starts to get back to some form of normality. People are returning to the office – though many are taking a more flexible approach with a mix of home and office work – furlough is ending, bars and restaurants are open, and youth and team sports have started again.
“Golf now has to compete with all these factors again for its share of peoples’ recreation time. Now is the time for all people involved in the golf industry to take a long hard look and ask the question: What can we do to ensure those currently interested in golf stay engaged?â€
The R&A and the Welsh government have launched a legacy fund to try to encourage more Welsh girls and women to play golf. According to the latest KPMG Golf Benchmark report, the smallest country in Great Britain has 42,743 registered golfers (those belonging to a golf club) with women making up just 12 percent of the total, against 81 percent for men and 7 percent for juniors.
Clubs across Wales can apply for grants of up to £5,000 from a total fund of £35,000, which Wales Golf will administer in the run-up to the 2025 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl.
“We are delighted that Wales Golf is working to introduce more women and girls to playing golf, encouraging clubs to sign up to the R&A Women in Golf charter and, through grant aid, providing new facilities for beginners in our sport,†said Jackie Davidson, the R&A golf development assistant director.Simon Lu, national women and girls coordinator at Wales Golf, added: “Some of the money will deliver a new short-course academy in North Wales, but the majority of the fund is available to clubs to help them create shorter and more inclusive forms of the game that we know appeal to beginners, and in particular to women and girls.â€
Empordà Golf Club on Spain’s Costa Brava will play a key part in the European Challenge Tour’s Spanish Swing this October. The club will host consecutive tournaments on the Challenge Tour, with the Empordà Challenge from 14-17 October and the Challenge Costa Brava from 19-22 October.
The latter event marks the end of the regular season, determining the 45-player field for the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final from 4-7 November. After the Grand Final, the top 20 players on the Challenge Tour order of merit, the Road to Mallorca, receive cards for the 2022 European Tour.
“We are grateful to Empordà Golf and the promoter, JGolf, for their help in bringing these events to fruition,†Challenge Tour boss Jamie Hodges said. “It was important for us to provide our members with these replacement tournaments to ensure playing opportunities were maximised at an important time of the season.
“Empordà Golf has stood the test of time in terms of hosting professional events and we are all excited to spend two weeks in Spain at such a wonderful venue.â€
Louise Duncan’s T10 finish in the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie helped her break into the World Amateur Golf Ranking top 40 for the first time. The 21-year-old Scottish player posted 7-under 281 to finish five shots behind Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and take the Smyth Salver as low amateur. It meant a 102-ranking jump to 31st place for the Stirling University student.
Ireland’s Lauren Walsh finished T42, eight shots behind Duncan, and climbed inside the WAGR top 15 as a result. She moved seven places to a career-high 14th place.
England’s Sam Bairstow was the highlight of movements on the men’s ranking. Winning the Brabazon Trophy at Ganton Golf Club saw him step into the top 40 with a 28-position rise to a personal best ranking of 32nd place.
Sunningdale Golf Club has been named the host venue for the 2024 Curtis Cup, the R&A has announced. The Berkshire course staged the 1987 Walker Cup, and has hosted many R&A events, including this year’s Senior Open Championship. However, it has never staged the premier team event in women’s amateur golf.
“The Curtis Cup is the apex of women’s amateur golf in Great Britain and Ireland and the USA and we are thrilled to be staging the match at Sunningdale,†R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said. “We are determined to give the best players the best platforms on which to compete and that will certainly be the case at Sunningdale.â€
Professional Golf tournaments in India are to restart following a five-month hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions. The TATA Steel PGA Tour of India season resumes with the Golconda Masters Telangana Open at the Hyderabad Golf Club from 2-5 September. Another nine events are scheduled to take place up until December.
“Our country has seen the most unprecedented and difficult times over the last few months,†PGTI chief executive Uttam Singh Mundy said. “Fortunately, with the COVID situation having improved and life slowly coming back to normal after the devastating second wave of COVID-19, we at PGTI plan to restart the tour in September 2021. The PGTI will continue to follow strict regulations in order to take all precautions against COVID-19 and ensure the smooth functioning of tournaments.â€
British bookmakers have made the U.S. team favourites to win this week’s Solheim Cup match at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Ladbrokes and William Hill list the USA as 1/2 favourites, with Europe’s odds at 2/1. The bookmakers are giving 12/1 odds on a draw.
Colin Callander and Alistair Tait
