STEARN TROPHY
Draw & Information
Handicap Index Limits – 8.6 to 19.0
Team Captains Guidance
Stearn
Results Sheet
Stearn Results 2025
Stearn
Rules
The Stearn Trophy 2026
Twenty-one squads of eight competed in this year’s interclub Stearn Trophy foursomes knockout. Matches scheduled for the first Monday of each month tested players against extreme weather, with temperatures soaring to 31’ on occasion. Sincere thanks to all clubs for their wonderful hospitality throughout the tournament.
Following competitive early rounds, Fynn Valley, Thorpeness, Seckford and Woodbridge successfully reached the semi-finals on 7th September.
The Stearn Finals, took place on Sunday October 5th at Aldeburgh GC, featuring a closely contested match between Seckford and Fynn Valley. Fynn Valley held the lead following the morning round, but the afternoon session saw Seckford turn the tables to claim the trophy 31/2:21/2.Congratulations to the winning Seckford team of Angie & Jan, Susie & Angela, Sharon & Karen with Ali stepping in for the afternoon.
Stearn Winners Seckford GC
The SLGCA extend its heartfelt gratitude to Aldeburgh Golf Club for their warm hospitality and good humour throughout the very long day.
The catering provided for teams, caddies, team captains and supporters was perfect – from delicious lunchtime sandwiches and much needed hot supper of baked potatoes with assorted fillings, fresh salads followed by delicious lemon roulade. Given the superb weather, additional supporters attended and the catering staff handled the extra demand with grace and efficiency. Presenting the trophies before supper was highly appreciated by all but particularly those who had to travel further afield.
Finally, special thanks go to the Team Captains, Sheila Boath, our County Secretary, Carol Deslandes, SLCGA President and England Golf ref Jeff Deslandes for their individual support throughout the event.
Sarah Brownie
SLCGA Competition Organiser for the Haskell & Stearn
General Information
A Match Play Foursomes competition played off ½ the difference of combined handicaps. A team shall consist of a squad of eight players, each player having a handicap index within the range of 8.6 – 19.0 inclusive.
All games shall be decided over 3 x 18 holes am and 3 x 18 holes pm (6 points).
Up to two substitutes may be introduced for the afternoon matches from the squad of eight, which may be a complete pair, provided they have been named on the Match Result Sheet before the morning round commences.
All matches in the rounds up to, and including the Semi-Final, will be played at neutral venues. The neutral venue for each match will be determined to reduce travelling times where possible – venues will be shown in red. The Final will be played at a neutral venue, as arranged by the Organiser.
Trophy History
The Stearn Trophy was presented to the County by Mrs Hilda Stearn, a senior member of Stowmarket Golf Club and President of the County in the mid-eighties. She was a good-natured, enthusiastic and very supportive President who loved the game of golf and was keen to leave the County a legacy of her Presidency. To satisfy her wish, the new Competition was introduced.
It was decided that the format would follow that of the Haskell Trophy, but with a larger team and for a different handicap range that would give the good ‘Club’ golfers somethingn to play for within the County. At the time, the Governing Body was aware that the Clubs might be reluctant to use another day in their calendar to host a further inter-club competition, so it was decided that the Stearn Trophy should play behind the Haskell Trophy on the first Monday of the month. There was some considerable use of ‘the little grey cells’ to work out a system whereby the Stearn team should follow their Haskell team for as long as both remained in their separate competitions and what would happen when that arrangement broke down. However, worked out it was and the arrangement panned out pretty well over the next 25 years or so, until the arrangements for the Haskell were altered which gave the Stearn autonomy.
Hilda Stearn’s Stowmarket club fittingly won the first playing of the Stearn Trophy and has gone on to the most prolific winner of this competition with seven subsequent victories to date. She would have been delighted.
In 2002 her daughter, Hilary Haydon, replaced the original trophy with a beautiful silver bowl.
Julie Latimer-Jones