A set of score cards and some memories from John Carter

I have collected these cards over the past (almost 60) years. I first played at Corhampton in 1951 or 1952 when I was a junior at Waterlooville but played in most club matches as there were not many juniors around then and clubs had only one team. Unlike today games (often singles) were played level, with the captains arranging matches taking handicaps into account. I think that it is a pity that strokes, based on handicap difference, are now a regular feature – it was surprising how often the higher handicapper excelled himself and beat the apparently better player.

Also in some matches the club professional played and I found myself playing with Bernard Daish from Waterlooville against George West from what is now Southsea GC (the course on Portsdown Hill came much later) and Bert Dedman from Alresford. I do not remember the Pro from Corhampton playing, but there may not have been one! Anyone who wished to pay a green-fee at Corhampton left the money in an "honesty box". Dennis Pink was a Corhampton member from the 1950's which is where I first met him and, as you will know, he was captain twice in the 1960's. We had met up again when I joined Lee in 1966, somewhat later becoming Captain in 1984 and President in 2001-4.

Back to the scorecards – there are 5:-

	1. The original 9 holes with each 9 being identical. This probably dates from my first visit. Note the words "six inches" which appeared on all scorecards at that time as the distance related to whether or not the stymie rule applied when on the green. I have an old rules booklet if you would like to know how it worked. Surprisingly 7 holes remain virtually the same according to my memory – the 1st, 2nd, 3rd (but slightly longer now), 5th (now the 9th), 6th (now the 10th), 7th (11th) and 8th (16th). The original 4th (and 11th) hole was played from near lhe 3rd green through a gap in the trees and then along the current 7th fairway to the present 6th green. The area of the existing 4th and 5th holes was farmed by a member, usually growing cereal, and he normally had a good crop of golf balls, as well as cereal, as the prevailing wind was from left to right and many slightly sliced drives finished in the cornfield. Of the other 9 hole courses that I knew then Alresford has, I think, only 3 virtually unchanged and Waterlooville none. Corhampton was precise in its hole measurement – both Lee and Liphook cards from the same period have measurements ending in "0" or "5"! At the time Corhampton was reckoned to have a scratch score that was among the most difficult in Hampshire!
	2. I think that this is the first 18 hole card after land had been obtained to extend the course towards Droxford. I don't know when this was done but I played in a mixed open partnering Liz Borrow when she had started playing golf again I had known Ian from when we were juniors (with his brother Alan) at Waterlooville.
	3. A similar card but with minor differences in distance and with a separate score for playing from yellow tees.
	4/5. Cards of the existing layout with only minor changes in length – I think that the vertical card is the earlier.