Corhampton Veterans Vintage 1967 Formed
Captain Mike Freeman, Centenary Veterans Captain browses through the minutes book
In the early summer of 1967 the club’s Vice Captain, with the blessing of the committee, called a meeting of over-60 members interested in forming a Veterans Section. Thirteen attended under the chairmanship of Sidney Parrett and he was elected Captain with Sqn.Ldr. Roly Higgins as Secretary-Treasurer.
The aim of the section was to arrange matches and promote internal competition – and the legacy passed down to today’s Vets owes a great deal to the founder members. Selection for matches involved as many members as possible with pairings changing throughout the season.
The first match, played against Waterlooville, was followed that year by matches with Alresford, Rowlands Castle and Corhampton Ladies. Competition has grown and the Vets current fixture list features 33 matches against 13 different clubs.
Of the 13 who attended the inaugural meeting only two remain – Mr. Les Mathams and Cdr. Derek Mallinson, who was destined to become Captain twice and also Secretary-Treasurer. There had to be a temporary bending of the rules to allow Derek to take up his first captaincy before reaching the age of 60.
The list of Veterans Captains is prominently displayed in the clubhouse but the names of our Secretary-Treasurers, to whom we owe so much, are concealed in our minute books. Sandwiched between Roly Higgins and Derek Mallinson came “Schoolie” Gimblett followed by Major Beckett. Then came Dick Shillitoe who was succeeded by Ted Leggatt in 1988. Last year Ted was also our Captain. Membership of the Veterans Section is now just under 70 and looks set to increase at a steady rate.
The Veterans Centenary Committee organised two highly successful veterans open competitions and has concentrated on fund raising. The committee’s main aim is to donate sufficient funds to the club to build a shelter on the new extension to the course.
Corhampton veterans send their salutations to all members of the club and wish them a happy and enjoyable Centenary Year.
Corhampton Golf Club – Senior Men’s Section – The Beginnings
Mr Sid Parrett Founder of Corhampton Golf Club Senior Men’s (Originally “Veterans”)
Captain 1967 & 1968
Some UK & World Events June 1967 (Other than Corhampton forming “Veterans Section”)
1 June – The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of rock’s most acclaimed albums, in the US, which went on to spend 15 weeks at number one.
3 June – 66th Men’s French Championships: Roy Emerson beats Tony Roche (6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2)
3 June – 66th Women’s French Championships: Francoise Durr beats Lesley Turner (4-6, 6-3, 6-4)
4 June – Stockport Air Disaster: British Midland flight G-ALHG crashed in Hopes Carr, Stockport, killing 72 passengers and crew.
9 June – Boycott scores 246 not out v India, Leeds, 573 minutes, 29 fours 1 six
15 June – The United Kingdom is in negotiations for European Economic Community membership in Rome.
18 June – 67th US Golf Open: Jack Nicklaus shoots a final round 65 at Baltusrol GC to established a new U.S. Open record of 275, four strokes ahead of runner-up Arnold Palmer. The 275 record stood for thirteen years, when Nicklaus broke it on the same course in 1980.
20 June – Muhammad Ali convicted of refusing induction into armed services
23 June – Jim Ryun sets mile world record (3:51.1, Bakersfield CA)
25 June – 400 million watch TV special Worlds First Live Satellite Broadcast masterminded by Aubrey Singer, eventually head of BBC Two, was visionary, a thing of technical genius using satellites to link peoples on five continents, and one of the oddest pieces of television output in history. It went out to 31 countries (originally the Eastern Bloc was to have been included, but politics intervened), with contributions from 14 of them, the whole under engineering direction from London.
Necessarily bitty, the programme included Picasso, pictures of trams in night-time Australia, the Vienna Boys’ Choir, cattle-herding in Canada, discussion of the new satellite technology, and most famously The Beatles singing All You Need is Love – chosen apparently in the light of the worsening conflict in Vietnam and that in the Middle East.
27 June – The first automatic cash machine (ATM) was installed in the office of Barclays Bank in Enfield.
28 June – George Harrison of the Beatles is fined £6 for speeding
29 June – Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was jailed for a year for possession of illegal drugs. His bandmate Mick Jagger was sentenced to three months for the same offence
The following tribute was written and supplied by Derek Gibson (Senior Men’s Captain 1999)
John Arthur Fredric Dallimore (1925 – 2016)
Members of the Senior Men’s Section who knew John will be saddened to learn of his death in February 2016.
John was as near as could be to being a founder member of (what was at the time) The Veterans Section of Corhampton Golf Club.
He played most of his early golf abroad during which time he was an “Overseas” member and played at Corhampton whenever coming home to Hampshire on leave. Whilst in Lagos he was a member of The Ikoyi Golf Club and The Ebute Metta Railway Golf Club. Whilst in Spain he was one of the first members of the Costa Blanca Golf Society when Bonalba Golf Club was only a 9 hole course. On returning to England he enjoyed many years representing Corhampton Seniors within Inter Club Matches.
John was a founder member in 1991 of the now well established Holiday Golf Group touring with them every year until 2010. In 2001 John moved to Perthshire, Scotland but still continued his participation in this touring group.
In his working life John was the senior trouble shooter for Waygood-Otis the lift engineering company. John calculated that this work took him around the world seven times. Observing the external lift planned and installed on the Spinnaker Tower. Portsmouth John took one look at it and said “It will never work.” How right he was.
John will be sadly missed but always remembered by those Senior Men’s Section members who knew him.
Email received by Editor from Bill Goodchild (Seniors Captain 2003)
Two things of interest from me, firstly I have good news
I have had my right Hip joint replaced and with luck will be able to start Golf again in May 2016.
Secondly is my thanks for the monthly News, it has enabled me to remain in touch with Senior Section Golf despite it being a long time since I played. I feel sure I speak for many others on this subject. I do not suppose you will print this but I feel everyone should know . Thanks again , hope to see you all soon Regards Bill
Did you know?
Golf started to be played at Corhampton around 1885 with initially 5 holes then extended to 7 on freehold land owned by the Wyndham-Long family. The golf course was officially recognised by the Royal and Ancient in 1891, from where we take our anniversary. The greenkeepers were sheep and we shared the course with the Corhampton Valley Cricket Club.
The all-important Saturday cricket fixture which meant that golfers had to skirt the boundaries of the ground where the willow was being struck. The cricket pitch was on the second fairway just in front of the green.
The first mention of the club’s institution appeared in the 1906-7 edition: “CORHAMPTON GOLF CLUB. Instituted 1891. Annual subscription ten shillings; number of members 32. Hon. Secretary R.B. Campbell-Wyndham, Corhampton House, Bishops Waltham. The course of nine holes on Corhampton Down is a mile-and-threequarters from Droxford Station (L. and S.W. Ry). Only seven holes are played on Saturdays.”