Old Wellingtonian Golf Society
Est. 1923
Origins
The Old Wellingtonian Golfing Society held its first golf meeting in May 1924 at West Hill, following a conversation held at our “spiritual” home, Rye GC, in December 1923 when Arthur Croome – OW – who was Captain of Rye that year set up a friendly match between Rye and a few of his OW friends. After the match, and history doesn’t record the result, the OWs had inevitably gathered for a small libation and a suggestion was put forward to create an OW Golfing Society.
After several discussions through the early part of 1924 the Old Wellingtonian Golfing Society was duly formed officially in May 1924 with its object being “the bringing together of Golfing O.W.s, irrespective of handicaps, for their mutual enjoyment”. This objective is still the guiding principle today of the O.W.G.S. The first Captain was A.C.M. Croome and J.A. Board, the Honorary Secretary. Amongst other resolutions at that meeting were that there would be a Spring and Autumn meeting and that the O.W.G.S would be entered into the Halford Hewitt Cup foursomes tournament which was inaugurated in 1923 with the first event being in 1924. The O.W.G.S. was too late to join the 1924 competition but started in 1925.
It was also resolved to play as many matches as could be arranged against other Public School Golfing Societies and Clubs.
At the meeting Arthur Croome presented a Challenge Shield to be competed for at the Spring
Meeting over 18 holes of medal play, off handicap which is still played for today.
Right: The genesis of the OWGS from the 1923 Yearbook
Spring Meeting
After the death of Arthur Croome in 1930 a new scratch medal competition was put in place for the Spring Meeting. It was originally called the Croome Putter but became the O’Brien Trophy in the early 1960s after the untimely death of Robin O’Brien from cancer in his 30s.
Robin was a superb golfer and played for many years in the Halford Hewitt team, right up to just before he died. Multiple winners of the O’Brien Trophy are Harold Deane (8 times), Peter Gracey (6), Bas Gowar (5), Ian Boyd (4), Richard Flood (3), James Harper (3), Alexander Aldrich-Blake (2), Gen. Sir George Cole (2), David Dutton (2), Peter Dobbs (2), Freddie Edmunds (2), David Frame (2), Stuart Mackie (2), and John Wakely (2). The lowest winning score is 66, achieved by Joe Byrne in 2026
O'Brien Trophy Rye winners (Recent)
2026 Joseph Byrne (66)
2025 James Harper (69)
2024 James Harper (73)
2023 Bas Gower (72)
2022
2021 Freddie Edmunds (72)
2019 Jack Sallis (79)
2018 Stuart Mackie (70)
2017 Stuart Mackie (75)
2016 Ed Bragg (74)
2014 Mike Gowar (71)
2012 Bas Gowar (70)
2011 Bas Gowar (75)
2010 Bas Gowar (74)
2009 Bas Gowar (70)
2008 Richard Eggleshaw (70)
2005 James Wyke (75)
2004 Mike Power (77)
2003 Harold Deane (72)
2002 Chris Rummery (78)
2001 James Harper (77)
2000 John Wakely (74)
1999 Harold Deane (75)
Halford Hewitt
To date, the OWs have won the prestigious Hewitt once, in 1959.
Three members of the team Paddy Shillington, Peter Dobbs and John Churchill are still members of the OWGS, and David Frame was once a Walker Cup Player but there is one member whose name might surprise many of you.
He was famously known for playing Saruman in Lord of the Rings, Count Dooku in Star Wars and of course, Count Dracula - Christopher Lee is the man.