CRANWORTH TROPHY
Draw & Information
Handicap Index Limits – 19.1 to 28.0
CRANWORTH 2026
This was my 3rd and perhaps final year as the Cranworth, Organiser and it had its challenges. In the early rounds we were worried about rain, hail and snow and in the latter stages the extreme heat, but as usual we all survived!
Once again there were some very close matches in all the knockout rounds, several going to playoffs. After some very tough knockout matches, the final was between Woodbridge and Bramford at Thorpeness on Thursday 10th September. It was a lovely sunny day on the coast after a rather bleak week, thankfully. Thank you to both teams and all the officials for making the day a memorable occasion. Commiserations go to Woodbridge, but congratulations to them for getting through to the final. Congratulations to the Bramford team on retaining the trophy for 2026.
After the match Carol Deslandes, County President presented the runner up team Woodbridge with a centenary cool bag and the winning team Bramford with a cool bag and a coveted centenary towel. Following the presentation both teams and officials enjoyed a lovely meal together, thanks go to Thorpeness for their hospitality.
Many thanks to all the Cranworth Captains and all the ladies across the County that took part in a memorable competition played in good spirt.
Kathy Holmes
Cranworth Organiser
General Information
A team shall consist of 8 players from each Club – each player having a handicap index within the range of 19.1 to 28.0 inclusive.
Format: 18-hole Match Play. (To continue until 2025 and the review)
Two match-play foursomes, (playing off ½ difference of combined handicaps), followed by four match-play singles, (in handicap index order), playing off full handicap allowance.
The venues for all the Rounds will be played on neutral courses.
Trophy History
Lady Cranworth presented her trophy to the County Association in 1936. Initially, it is believed, it was played for by Silver Division players but at some point after the Second World War, there developed a keenly contested inter-club knockout competition amongst Bronze Division golfers that became the Cranworth Trophy as we still know in in 2013.
Who thought up the unusual scoring method in force for many years, it is hard to say, or perhaps no one will own up to it! With five points at stake for every match, whether singles or foursomes (one point for winning each nine holes and three for the overall match), it was certainly innovative and might perhaps have been more understandable had it been applied to the more accomplished golfers of the county. However, though the Cranworth matches were marathon occasions, with the scoring system necessarily taking most matches round the full thirty-six holes, most of the protagonists loved it and indeed, in some cases, were positively passionate about it.
There was a short period in the mid-eighties when the competition reverted to ‘normal’ match play, but the two year trial ended with the clubs opting to return to the old system. After a further twenty-five years or so, during which the organisers struggled to contain the matches within a comfortable timeframe, reason has once more prevailed and the Cranworth Trophy is now played for in recognisable foursomes and singles, to the great relief of many. Each round of the Trophy still constitutes a long day on the golf course, offering the players plenty of scope for fulfillment.
The desire to play the competition all the way through on neutral courses has also come and gone once or twice through the decades and is currently in force again.
There is generally more discussion about the Cranworth Trophy than all the other inter-club competitions, probably put together and regardless of the standard of golf at which they are played. Plainly, it continues to keep grass roots interest in the County golfing activities alive and well. That can only be good.
Julie Latimer-Jones
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