Page 22 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 63

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

ACC Golf Society 2024 Tour Tour attendees 2024 outside
the Methu Belstead Hotel
Monday 6th May to Friday 10th May 2024

According to historical records the Tour Winner – Paul Hollely
with second place winner
cup for the Scottish Tour 54-hole
Gary East – Honorary
Champion was redesignated in
President and Society
1983 from the 36-hole Scratch Captain
competition cup won by Maj JHJ
Williams in 1964. The first winner of the ‘Scottish’
Tour in 1983 was Geoffrey Hawkins, who is now
our Honorary President. Next year (2025) will be
the 42nd year since the start of the ACC Golfing
Tour – long may it continue.
The ACC Golf Society’s annual tour is the
course and has a fine and interesting history, there
highlight to the golfing year with 2024 seeing
23 intrepid golfers attend the competition near is a Napoleonic era Fort located on the edge of
the 13th fairway, which was used as a club house
Ipswich; the event run in May was centred from the
Methu Belstead Hotel. The hotel was well situated between 1880 – 1888. FYI, the current clubhouse is
scheduled to be demolished with a new clubhouse
for the clubs scheduled to play and afforded the
society with a private dining room to take our to be built on a higher/visually better location
100m from the old.
meals. Although not 5 star the hotel had plenty of
amenities: private dining room, swimming pool, The Tour has historically been played over
4 days, with the first 3 days used to identify the
sauna and, of course, the obligatory bar (and space
to play chase the ace). Tour Champion with day 4 being a fun day. The
Society Vice-Captain Steve Wheeldon organised
Geoff Acott, the Tour Organiser arranged 4
different golf courses to play, all within 25 minutes the fun competition based on a drawn pairs
bowmaker format (6 holes of 2 ball better ball,
from the Hotel with the pick of the bunch being
6 holes of foursomes and 6 holes of Texas scramble)
Felixstowe Ferry, a course first opened in 1880. The
– the format was a great success – Steve has been
Ferry (as it is called by the locals) is a true links
voluntold that he will organise next year too.
There was much fun had on tour – but with
the maxim of ‘what happens on tour, stays on tour’
I cannot share. However, I must share a short story
on the society Honorary President Geoff Hawkins
who although did not play golf, did visit with Gilly
for the last 2 days of the tour. Geoff with Gilly on
tow visited those playing golf on the final day at
Hintelsham Golf Club (Geoff Acott is a member
here), afforded with a buggy, Geoff and Gilly drove
out onto the course to watch some of the golf played,
Felixstowe Ferry – offer words of advice and encouragement to those
clubhouse 1880 to 1888 not playing so well. On a favour to Paul Critchley,
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