April will see the first of our competitions: the Chatham Trophy.  

This competition commemorates an audacious raid by a Dutch Naval and Military force on Chatham Docks in the Medway in 1667.  The force sunk a few Royal Navy ships; a trifle embarrassing for the Royal Navy. But we also have to remember that this raid was the culmination of a number of very annoying raids by the Royal Navy, on the Dutch Republic, amongst them Admiral Holmes who created a sizeable bonfire and saw a very large  number of their Dutch East India fleet nicely settled on the sea bottom in the North of Holland, beautifully illustrated in the sketch above.   There were a few other battles at sea up and down the dutch coats sinking Naval vessels where they could and over the pond in the Americas, taking over a Dutch colony.  It might be fair to say that the Dutch were a little provoked and peeved.  But ... it also has to be said that King Charles's saw his eponymous flag ship taken as a trophy from Chatham to become a tourist attraction in Rotterdam, which left him a little scarlet with rage.

The Modern Day Chatham Engagement

If you are keen to participate in a friendlier version of the Chatham raid, we will hold the Chatham Trophy on Thursday 7th April 2022, between the Dutch and the Anglophone community (under a British Ensign).  Please signal your interest below. Jan Brackels and Andre van der Meulen have already placed their sovereigns in the beer glasses of 16 conscripts from the Dutch community, including two descendants of the original Dutch forces.  

The RBCGS is looking to enlist 16 able bodied Anglophone golfers to meet the Dutch fairway fleet on the fairways of the Estoril Golf Club who have an earnest interest in seeing the trophy retained by the British and its friendly affiliates.
There will be a lunch at the Club afterwards - possibly a buffet, where the tone of the rivalry might get a bit more boisterous.  
In selecting the team, I will have to prioritise those with an earnest interest in demonstrating their skills at navigating the Estoril Golf Course by: ex-Royal Navy and the rest of us, track record and handicap.
If you would like to join just for lunch, let me know below under Other - I will see what we can arrange.

Location:                  Estoril Golf Club

Tee-offs:                  14 tee-off times available 

Tee times:                07.36 to 09:12 (Hole 17 departures may be used)

Format:                    4BBBMP Stableford scoring

Holder of the Trophy: RBCGS