- 2010-09-30 15:00
- 2010-10-31 15:00
- 2010-11-30 15:00
George Washington 2010 - Image 1
George Washington 2010 - Image 3
We then climbed up to the flight deck for a detailed look at all the specialized equipment to launch and land aircraft. We had a run-through of how the steam catapult, jet blast deflector and aircraft brake cables (what are these called?) operated. And we were able to look over a retired Navy Hornet Jet on the deck, which had mysteriously been assigned to XO Dan Grieco.
C&O Golf 2010
At lunch time, reports from the first half's play confirmed that the course was playing tough, with no one having managed to play to their handicap.
C&O Golf 2010 -3
A short party and prize giving brought an end to a most enjoyable day, with participants already marking their diaries for the Autumn meeting - planned for Saturday October 23rd. More details to come in due course.
Edmond Aruffo (at right) and Guests
The event was held not only to celebrate the survival of the early American settlers with the help of their Indian neighbors, but also to welcome our very own Indian guests, members of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of India (OCSI) who were on a visit to Japan. The evening started with drinks from the well stocked bar and continued with dinner from the sumptuous buffet. Traditional dishes were beautifully arranged on tables along the wall, and included such delicacies as pumpkin pie, wild rice and sweet potatoes ending, of course, with turkey and cranberry sauce.
Tim Minton's Address alongside O&C India alumni guests
C&O Golf 2009
Starting off the 10th tee, after a tough first nine holes lunchtime conversation seemed to be focused more on the natural beauty of the Shishido environs than the quality of golf! At half time, Alex Miller and Steven Thomas had fared best with gross 38s, closely followed by Simon Dalby on 40. Fortified by a good lunch, for the afternoon nine it was notable that, with a single exception, every player improved on their morning score. Defending Champion Yasuzo Takeno showed his true form with a solid 42 and Yoshi Kawamura also played very well for the same score, despite an OB on the very last hole. Indeed Kawamura-san's 72 net was good enough for 3rd place, two shots behind Alex Miller's net 70. AT the end of the day, however, it was Cambridge man Simon Dalby's fine second nine 34 gross which secured him the title, with a net 69, and his gross 74 also edged out Thomas by one shot for best gross honours.At one of the golfing establishments with the longest and most distinguished histories in Japan, it was with a real sense of anticipation that the serried ranks of the C&O Golfing Society gathered at the kind invitation of member Peter Sato (Oxford, St Catherine's) in the early morning mist at Hodogaya CC (established 1921), on Saturday 28th of March, 2009. There was history in the event, too, as 2009 also marked the 20th year since we have extant records for the C&O Varsity golf match, which itself was first held at Hodogaya CC.
The Spring outing each year, for many, marks the first time in the season that the Guttie Percha ball is given its first chance of flight, and equal opportunity to raise (and then sometimes dash) the members' perennial hopes and aspirations for the golf of the summer to come. This year was no exception, with the course's Official Starter seeing off the assembled three flights of four off at 8.06am. A full and varied repertoire of tee shots was on display, aptly illustrating the group's immunity to the cold, as each addressed a tricky par four fairway that steeply fell away then disappeared around on a dog-leg left to an elevated green.
We were fortunate to be treated kindly by the weather, with an overcast day never threatening anything more ominous. With the course set up as a tough challenge, it was with the usual animated discussion regarding the lucky bounces, or just-short approaches, the regretful "it-almost-carried-the-water" and "if-only-I'd-not-duffed-that second-approach" -commentary that characterise any meeting of the Society, that a heartening lunch was taken in the wood-panelled Dining Room in the late morning, which set up the eight members from Oxford, and three from Cambridge, and one guest (Mari Ohsaki, James Lawden's (Oxford, New) guest) for the afternoon's action. With the greens running surprisingly fast for the time of year, and the fairways in superb condition, each four-ball returned with tales of fickle fortune, and a unifying satisfaction of being out for another Good Walk Spoiled.
2008 Fuji OGM Golf Photo 1
While not the largest of turn-outs for a Society golf event, with some of our stalwarts otherwise engaged on the day, our small group was full of enthusiasm for the return to this pleasant Robert Trent Jones design, which had previously hosted us back in 2005. Among our number, we were pleased to welcome a first time player, and guest of James Lawden, Mari Ohsaki.
2008 Fuji OGM Golf Photo 2
Starting just before 9am, our three groups completed the first half smoothly with the usual golfers' stories being exchanged over lunch of good shots and bad breaks, missed putts and bumpy greens - along with news of two remarkable chip-ins by Takahisa Hashimoto. While inevitably a little different to the roast beef and yorkshire pudding fare of the great traditional clubs of the UK, Fuji Ichihara's lunch offerings were certainly fulsome and a number of our members were noted to be enjoying a late-morning beer or sake to fortify themselves for the second nine.
Mt Takao & Ukai Toriyama - stream