Local History: A duel between golfers and archers – By Michael Taylor
Driving from Crowborough to Eastbourne is not a remarkable feat, but ‘driving’ from Crowborough to Eastbourne most certainly is.
Charlie Macey was the assistant professional golfer at Crowborough Beacon Golf Club in the early sixties and he had an eye for a quirky challenge. He gathered together a few kindred spirits and decided to have a go at breaking the world record for ‘cross-country golf’, the practice of playing towards a destination rather than a hole. The group played their way all the way to the coast and, when they arrived in Eastbourne, they had duly claimed the record for themselves.
A few years later, in the winter of 1964, Charlie was up to his old tricks again. He organised another expedition of cross-country golfing; this time from the golf course in Forest Row to the 18th hole of the Crowborough Beacon Golf Course – only this time, the golfers would have adversaries in the form of two experienced archers.
Thus, a few days after Christmas Day in 1964, a group of men quietly assembled in the thick snow at Forest Row and began their duel. The golfers got the match started, driving red-painted golf balls through the snowy sky and the archers, Crowborough residents Trevor Scott and Trevor Hopkinson, returned fire from their quivers.
The match proceeded evenly; Charlie’s white Alsatian, Penny, being called upon to sniff out as many arrows as golf balls. Without a break in play, the men pressed on through the snow and, at around 3 pm, the men drew near the Crow and Gate pub. Soon, therefore, they set foot on to the Beacon course and, at the 12th hole, there was only a difference of 19 shots between the teams. The men quickly made progress and were confronted with their goal: the 18th hole. The Beacon’s professional golfer, David White, had the honour of putting into it and, for the archers, it fell to Trevor Scott to burst the balloon attached to the flag with one last arrow.
The mammoth game had come to an end and the archers were declared the winners, firing their way from start to finish in 84 shots and only 12 lost arrows, against the golfers 102 shots and 30 lost balls.
The match did have a serious side, though – proceeds from the game all went to the Friends of Hellingly Hospital and anyone stumbling across an arrow on a golf course will have an interesting piece of Sussex history all to themselves.
Related Posts
Tom Tugendhat lends support to Lifestyle Health Foundation →
Put a spring in your step at Penshurst Place ‘Fit for a Queen’ events programme for 2022 →
Letter from California →
Comments