Simon Byford’s golf column: Where to play a Suffolk Golf Union event in 2025 and why it is special for all levels of club golfers
Happy New Year and here is to a prosperous 2025 on the course. If you are a member of one of the affiliated clubs in Suffolk, you may not realise that you have access to a whole host of county events, which are great for seeing different courses, and maybe even wining some prizes.
This week I will highlight some of the many events you may just be eligible for, whether male, female or junior. You may not win the scratch Race To Aldeburgh like Sam Renville (pictured) did last year, but there is something for everyone in Suffolk County Golf.
Suffolk Men’s Events
The Suffolk Golf Union host five Major championships each calendar year, alongside the Race To Aldeburgh, which is an order of merit from qualifying events. Although primarily scratch events, there are handicap competitions within.
The Suffolk Open is open to all amateurs of Suffolk affiliated clubs, alongside PGA professionals attached to Suffolk clubs, and playing professionals who have represented Suffolk previously. It is a great opportunity to pit your skills against the best in the county, both amateur and professional. This year the 36 event will be held on September 10 at Rookery Park GC.
The Suffolk Amateur is similar to The Open, but only amateur golfers can enter. You can earn World Amateur Golf Ranking points in this 54-hole event. The whole field play 18 holes on the first day, with the top 30 making the cut for 36 holes on the second day. The Amateur Championship will be held at Ipswich GC on Junes 24 and 25 this year.
The Suffolk Senior Championship is held over 18 holes for men aged 55 and over. Again, there will be gross and nett prizes and will be held at Seckford GC on June 20.
Suffolk also host an Amateur Foursomes event. Both gross and nett prizes are awarded in this 36 hole pairs event. The Foursomes always kick off the SGU season and this year is on April 30 at Halesworth GC.
The Race To Aldeburgh is an Order of Merit (OOM) event where players accrue points based on their finishing positions in the qualifying events. The top 10 players in each category (Scratch, Handicap and Junior) will be invited to the finals day at Aldeburgh, where more points will be available to decide the overall winner.
For the Scratch OOM the above events constitute the qualifiers, but for the handicap competition some very prestigious Open events are included. If you are a handicap golfer then these should be on your radar each year, they are:
•The Suffolk Punch Trophy (Halesworth GC)
•The Silver Barrell (Ipswich GC)
•The Seaton Robson Trophy (Aldeburgh GC)
•The Eastern Counties Cup (Woodbridge GC)
•The Coronation Cup (Felixstowe Ferry GC)
•The Sir John Drughorn (Gorleston GC)
•The Suffolk Open (Stowmarket GC)
For more information about these events and to enter, please visit the website of the hosting club or the SGU website for Championship entry forms.
Suffolk Ladies Events
There are also plenty of opportunities for ladies to compete in county events throughout the year. The Suffolk Ladies Championship is a 36-hole medal event for handicaps 17.9 and below. There are gross and nett prizes available and the top four gross and nett will qualify for the matchplay which will be held on the two days following the championship. Held at Woodbridge GC on 16th – 18th May 2025.
There is a Suffolk Seniors Championship along the same lines as the main championship, but only held over 18 holes of strokeplay. If you are aged 50 and over with an index of 17.9 or less, you are eligible.
There are also Divisional Championships based on the different handicap categories. Division 1 meeting is a Medal for handicaps up to 13.9 at Ipswich GC on September 13. Division 2 is a Medal for 14.0-21.9 at Newton Green GC on September 21. Division 3 is a Stableford for 22.0 – 31.9 at Brett Vale GC on May 11. Division 4 is 32.0 and above and will be a Stableford at St Audry’s GC on April 26.
The Ladies’ section are also holding a 9-hole meeting for new golfers and those who only play 9 holes at Bury St Edmunds’ 9-hole course on September 14.
Finally, for the ladies there are three foursomes championships that players can enter.
The Coronation Foursomes is for combined handicaps of 38.9 and below and the Centenary Foursomes for teams combining for 39.0 – 64.9. Both events are held simultaneously at Bungay GC on June 10. The Lady/Junior Foursomes comprises one adult and one junior girl and this year will be hosted by Fynn Valley on October 12.
Suffolk Junior Events
The Suffolk Junior Championships comprises boys and girls, gross and nett prizes in a 36 medal and 18 hole Stableford for higher handicaps. This year the event will be at Stowmarket GC on June 2.
There is also a Race To Aldeburgh for Juniors, comprising the same qualifying events as the Men’s scratch events, but the focus for most Junior golfers in Suffolk is the Junior Open Series. This is another order of merit event that encourages all junior with a handicap to enter the Junior Opens around the county. This year they will be:
•Ipswich GC10th April
•Thorpeness GC5th May
•Newton Green GC 8th June
•Southwold GC14th June
•Halesworth GC5th July
•Aldeburgh GC25th July
•Stowmarket GC28th July
•Gorleston GC5th August
•Rookery Park GC9th August
•Felixstowe Ferry GC11th August
•Diss GC25th August
•Bungay GC31st August
•Bury St Edmunds GC7th September
Juniors will accrue points based on entry and finishing positions, so simply by entering lots you will have the opportunity to scale the leaderboard.
Hopefully you will agree that there really is lots going on for everyone in Suffolk Golf in 2025, if you can, please get involved, I would love to be reporting about your successes in 2025.
Have a great golfing week.
