On a damp April day in 2000, Chris Penfold arranged a rather soggy golf outing at Puttenham Golf Club in Surrey. After drying out, all the attendees decided that it had been such a good day that they should do this sort of thing more often. Chris tried to get things moving but the Society was not properly structured which meant that everything was organised and done on an ad-hoc basis.
Over the course of 2000, as Chris Penfold found that he really didn't have the time to devote to the Society, John Waghorn stepped into the breach and taking the bull by the horns, dragged the Society kicking and screaming through the rest of the 2000 season. With the help of Paul Warren, Chris Turvill, Ian Turvill, Colin Turvill, Paul Donlevy and Michael Prevost, some continuity and organisation was established, and thus Bunkers Golf Society was stabilised into a working operation.
The 2000 season proved a success, blighted only by the odd problem caused by a lack of numbers. The season culminated at Windlesham Golf Club in Surrey where 15 players turned up for 18 holes of golf followed by a meal.
During the end-of-season break, a few of the players decided it was time to setup Bunkers officially and put it on a firm footing .... the committee was thus elected and the rules decided upon:
Ian Turvill (Captain)
Paul Warren (Secretary)
Chris Turvill (Treasurer and Handicap Secretary)
The beginning of the 2001 season saw a continued expansion of the membership with continually more members and guests signing up for the golf days. The aim of the Society was to play 8 events during the March to October time frame, 7 of these being 18 hole half-days, with one event being a 36 hole full-day event.
2001 also saw the Bunkers Golf Society launch onto the Internet through the original incarnation of this website. The aim of the site was to be a living, breathing vehicle to promote the Society, encourage people to become members, and equally important to provide a resource for the members. So around this site you will find 18 years worth of information on past events, the places we've been, and how we work.
2002 saw the expansion of the committee as we added two extra committee member positions - Secretary (Michael Prevost) and Chairman (Frazer Webb). As well as bringing new blood into the committee it also enabled a wider sharing of the responsibilities which will in turn help to ease the burden on the original committee members.
2002 also saw the introduction of proper shields and trophies for each of the then 8 events all sponsored by some of the original members.
Through the next few years the society flourished, breaking even each year and even making a bit of profit so as we could start to play better courses.
2006 saw the next change with the addition of a 9th event, a Christmas event designed to be a bit of fun amongst the christmas season chaos. All was stable til 2010 when someone decided that we didn't play enough games and wanted one in February. This quickly followed in 2011 with another December event slapped in the middle of Christmas and New Year. We then went another 7 years before the inevitable happened and a November event was added. In 2017 some enterprising members decided that a weekend away over the Masters competition time would be good fun, and so the Bunkers Masters Weekend started. In 2019 the weekend was adopted as an official event and results started to appear on the site.
During all of this, the society strengthened it's operations, it's rules, and it's loyal membership. The atmosphere of jovial banter, fun and the occasional leg being pulled has not changed - in fact it has just grown as more and more like minded people join in. Once you join us as a member it's rare for people to leave.
We now play some very good courses and are able to keep the prices at a very reasonable amount for what we do. 2014 saw the introduction of a fines system, whereby any misdeameanor on or off the course will be ratted on to the Captain culminating in laughter and fines for all.
This has all resulted in a great society, filled with a bunch of great mates, warm and welcoming of all, who 12 times a year go out on the grassy slopes and hills around the south of england and hit a stupid little dimpled white thing around and usually fail miserably to get it anywhere near the right hole!