In 2024 our regular Friday rollups and internal competitions were increasingly popular with new and established juniors alike.  In the team environment, there was a much different look for those representing the club in the various interclub competitions that we regularly enter.  Led fantastically by our Junior Captain Ed Tubridy, the team were very competitive in all the events we entered across Beds, Herts and BB&O competitions and a good number of new players made their debuts. 

There was a great defence of the Junior Interclub trophy played at The Millbrook (Sat 8 Jun) with 21 teams from across Bedfordshire involved.  Two teams of 3 were selected from Cainhoe Wood and the team of Ed Tubridy, Amanda Ellis and Jayden Slender narrowly lost out by just 2 stableford points to a team from South Beds, and ended in 3rd place on countback.  In the Tavistock Trophy Cainhoe Wood were grouped with defending champions, The Bedfordshire, and Aylesbury Vale. The format is medal strokeplay with four scores (two best gross, two best nett) counting to a team total for each match, with three matches played at each of the three clubs (2 points per home win, 3 points for away) and the group winner qualifying for the Final.  In the end it turned out to be a straight shoot-out between The Bedfordshire and Cainhoe Wood.  Both teams beat Aylesbury Vale in the first match (9 Jun); Cainhoe then beat both Aylesbury and The Bedfordshire at home (16 Jun), and despite a brilliant effort by the team in the final match at The Bedfordshire (on 30 Jun), with a total of 291 being our best return of the three matches, the home team proved just too strong, and with a tie on 7 points each the group winner was decided on aggregate number of strokes across all three matches (894 v 907), and The Bedfordshire duly progressed to the final and then onto win the whole competition in late August.   Fantastic effort by the Cainhoe team, being the only club during the season to beat the ultimate Beds County Champions in this competition.  A team was also entered into a JTG regional qualifier (best gross from 3 lowest hcps, 4 nett) at The Leicestershire (Sun 15 Sep), and another good team effort led by a sparkling nett 66 from Charlie Simpson was just a few shots shy of success, but a great experience for the team on the day.

The Vale League (singles matchplay) was very well contested. An early win against Abbey Hill was followed by narrow losses to Aspley Guise and The Millbrook, but a standout away win (5-1) at Woburn and another against Buckingham, with a final draw away to Leighton Buzzard saw a respectable 3rd place finish.  But it was in the Herts League (3 singles, 2 greensomes) that the team really excelled in 2024.  In a tough group phase, being drawn home and away against Letchworth, Knebworth and Brocket Hall, the team carried an unblemished record in the group winning all 6 matches to progress to the semi-finals where the four group winners played out (winners to the Shield Final; losers to the Plate).  Semi-final opponents were Sandy Lodge who were similarly unbeaten to this point, but another superb display by the Cainhoe juniors saw a further 2 wins and progression to the Shield Final.  Ultimately, the match-up with a strong Hanbury Manor team (at the neutral venue of Old Fold Manor, Sun 27 Oct) proved a match too far but a fantastic runners-up place in the Herts Ver Shield was much to celebrate, in what was a very strong and competitive league.

Players who represented the club in 2024:

Ed Tubridy (Capt.), Charlie Simpson, Jayden Slender, Amanda Ellis, Kaiden Greenwood, Liam Friend, Rory O’Riordan, Joel Platt, Jacob Schouten, Will Worsley, Luke Lehri, Mathieu Beeming, Josh O’Shaughnessy, Sam Dobson, Charlie Collison

​In the internal competitions the Club Championships (scratch) was retained by Ed Tubridy, with Amanda Ellis securing the handicap title.  The OOM (best six nett scores) throughout the season of internal events was won by Jayden Slender, and the Junior Matchplay title was won by Jacob Schouten by 1 hole in a great final against Amanda.  Amanda and Ed have also enjoyed individual success away from home. Amanda has won Beds Schools mid-handicap and scratch events, and helped Etonbury Academy to second place in the England Schools’ team finals at Woodhall Spa.  Moreover, she won the Beds Girls Scratch Order of Merit, took Div 1 honours at Royal Cromer Junior Open, and has also recently been selected for EG East of England Development squad. Ed took on the best in the county at the Boys County Champs and was one of only 3 players to shoot under par over 36 holes at Pavenham Park finishing -1 gross (-11 nett) to secure the Boys County Handicap trophy.

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We would like to acknowledge all our active Junior members for their efforts and the clear progression they have all made, and all their parents for their valued support throughout the 2024 season.