High Handicap (Rabbits) Section

The High Handicap (Rabbits) Section is open to both five and seven day members with a playing handicap of 19 to 28 inclusive. In addition, there is a membership fee, currently £5 for the year.   Being a member of the section entitles you to play in any event for which you qualify resulting from your handicap; all you have to do is put your name on the appropriate sheet that can be found on the section notice board in the men’s locker room.

The Rabbits Section is the only section that plays throughout the year.  In the summer months, we play against fourteen local clubs and in the winter months five on a home and away basis.  That makes a total of twenty-eight summer and ten winter matches.  Generally we field teams of ten but against some clubs we play twelve per side.  Matches are four-ball better ball and are friendly but competitive; matches are on weekdays with summer matches starting at around 14:00hrs and winters matches at around 09:30hrs.  All players are expected to dine after, for summer matches and generally before for winter matches depending on arrangements.  The only cost of matches, home and away, is the cost of your meal.

The Rabbits Section also plays matches against the Ladies, Foxes and Juniors with the same format as matches against other clubs.  In addition to the internal club matches there is an annual competition for the Jubilee Cup, between Tigers, Foxes and Rabbits with teams of ten playing in groups of three in a single Stableford format with the aggregate team score winning the competition.

The Rabbits Section plays in the Stanley West knockout competition in which teams of nine compete in singles match play.  Early rounds are played at home or away with the semi-finals and final played at neutral courses.  Matches are followed by a dinner as for friendly matches.  Stanmore won this competition in 2007.

The section AGM and dinner takes place in early March and is preceded by the John Dawson Cup which is played in memory of a former Rabbits’ captain for a trophy donated by John’s family.

Our Captain’s Day in early May takes the form of a single Stableford competition for the Captain’s prize, followed by dinner in the evening.

There are five other competitions run by the Rabbits’ section with differing formats:

• Super Rabbit – a knock-out competition with the winner going on to represent the section at the annual HH Captains and Secretaries day tournament.
• Dennis Yerby Cup – a Stableford competition; played in early October.
• Bill Smith Shield – a better ball pairs’ competition with a draw for pairs being made from the list of entrants; played in mid-October.
• Watson Strother Cup – a medal competition; played in early November
• Len Hughes Cup – a Stableford competition but played with only five clubs; played in mid-November.

In addition to the above there is the High Handicap Cup which is a knock-out competition but run by the club.

One of the highlights of the year is the HH Invitation Day, in early September, when we invite clubs we play in friendly matches to send representatives.  Teams of four are drawn with each team having at least one Stanmore member with the other members of each four-ball being drawn at random from the list submitted by the various clubs.  There are various prizes to be played for on the day and these are presented at the post-match dinner.