The Broken Shaft Golf Society
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Trophies
In 2003, while playing the 200 yard par 3 second hole on the La Mer course at Le Touquet, Ian Lloyd brandished his 4 iron in a futile attempt to reach the green.
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Midway through his shot the club head detached itself from the shaft travelling comfortably further than the ball! Without knowing it at that specific moment The Broken Shaft came into being.
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The most sought after and prestigious singles trophy on the Shafter's calendar - to date twelve different Shafters have had the distinction and honour of winning this major trophy. Jonathan Horler (11) has held the title on four occasions.
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In the very fine words of its 2011 winner, Alex Letts, who opines "I will cherish the (actually quite lovely) Shaft, even if my (equally lovely) cherished one cherishes it marginally less".
In an outstanding moment of pure spontaneity, following the completion of a pairs competition in Le Touquet in 2003, the question of what would make an appropriate trophy was raised within a group of Shafters mulling outside on the golf course terrace relishing the prospect of a refreshing and rewarding beer or two. Since it was a pairs event it was deemed appropriate to have something both winners could enjoy throughout the year rather than sharing a single trophy for six months each.
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Quick as a flash and rather fortuitously since Peter Kirk was absent from the group purchasing the next round of drinks, the ideaa was muted that his ghastly faded white plastic golf shoes would fit the bill perfectly. Rescued from the back of a car and hastily signed by those present - so he really couln't wear them again - The Shoes came into existence. David Robinson (17) and Martin Cardoe (07) were the first winners. Once being presented with the Left Shoe and the other with the Right Shoe! Sadly in 2013, Simon Hill (10) lost/mislaid one of the shoes. He incurred the wrath of the committee as well as a forfeit of penalty shots until found!!
Hill's Chalice was acquired on the Shafters' travels. This trophy is a very old Grand Marnier glass which was retrieved from a fish restaurant in Le Touquet by Simon Hill (10). An individual stableford competition, it is played for annually in the summer.
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The trophy itself has had a troubled history. The original glass was mounted on a beautifully created plinth sometime in 2004 by Martin Cardoe's father in his potting shed and radiated an understated class. In 2006, after having been won by Clive Horwood in the gloam of Stoke Park, the only time the competition has been held in autumn, the trophy failed to reappear for a number of years. By a happy coincidence, its originator Simon Hill won it in 2007 and purchased a new bigger and brasher replacement duly engraved with the 2007 and 2008 winners.
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The original glass trophy was eventually returned albeit substantially damaged. However, after some excellent remedial work by (17) it has been restored to its rightful place as a cherished trophy.
A gift from the wife of 07 whose maiden name is Mackintosh. Appropriately spotting the trophy in Poundland, she immediately identified it as a potential Shafters trophy. Since it had the appearance of a block of ice the committee determined it should be used as a trophy for the Society's winter tours. It is played for as an individual stableford contest. To date there have been 14 different winners.
A relatively recent addition to the Shafters trophy cabinet and first played for in 2009. The shovel was procured from The Crispin Inn, Worth. This ice bucket shovel is played for in a pairs contest during the winter tour where it adopts the Shaftsomes format. In 2011, Alex Letts and Mark Groves Gidney amassed a phenomenal 53 points!
The origin of the Cooler was at the bar at the PGA Catalunya hotel during the 2011 tour. Sized up by Sek/12, he instantly negotiated its purchase for a handsome €10 and then, despite being warned not to forget it, left it behind at the bar! Fortunately it was retrieved by an observant Shafter and returned to Sek/12 at the AGM. Much to his embarrassment as he genuinely thought he'd lost it. It has now become the Shafters' prized seventh major. An individual matchplay knockout tournament it represents the Society's FA Cup. Its inaugural winner in 2012 was Roger France Hayhurst (DB1)
The Flag was acquired when touring South West Ireland in 2007. It has historically been the first competition played for on the summer tour. Originally a singles stableford event, its format was changed in 2014 to a greensomes competition with Alex Tatham and Mark Burgess claiming victory in Le Touquet. It was retired in 2016 and usurped as first event by The Cap whose first ever winner was Martin Wyatt in 2016 playing at The Albatross in the Czech Republic.
Reprieved from waste disposal. The Monstrosity was rescued from a dustbin by Martin Cardoe (07) in 2005 from the offices of 3i Group where he once worked. It's believed its original use was for a football competition. However, it now holds a more illustrious and important second life being awarded annually to the Shafter who is deemed to have had a outstanding year on and off the golf course. It is our 'Player of the Year' award.
Named after the village of Worth in Kent where the Shafters first stayed on their winter tour. Originally it was a chair back from the Crispin Inn. The chair itself collapsed under the weight of Simon Hill (10) during an evening's drinking session. What remained of the chair, other than the chair back , was used to fuel the log burning stove that was heating the pub! It is awarded to the Shafter whose contribution to the Society over the past year has been deemed worthless.