Golf Day 2024 Recap

On Friday 25th October, over 70 keen golfers packed their caddies and headed to the picturesque fairways of Barnham Broom for the return of the annual Foundation Golf Day.

Ex-City shot-stopper Bryan Gunn was never going to pass on the opportunity to retain his title after last year’s success, and this year, he was joined by Norwich City Sporting Director Ben Knapper as the opposing team captain.

The brisk autumn morning dawned fresh and foggy, with the first arrivals signing in at 8:30am. Initially entered as groups of four, our golfers were split into two teams, with two from each quartet representing Team Gunn and the other pair playing under Team Knapper.

After an opening speech from both team captains, and some pre-golf fuel in the shape of a bacon roll, our 70+ golfers were off, ready to take on the 18-hole course.

As well as logging their scores like any other day out on the green, our golfers were also scored on certain on-course competitions, such as ‘longest drive’ and ‘nearest the pin’.

In order to keep focus at an optimum and ensure that our golfers stayed hydrated throughout, a team of fantastic volunteers were also on hand to man the ‘halfway hut’ providing our teams with a selection of drinks and snacks.

With the fog evaporated, and the autumn sunshine beginning to dwindle, our golfers played their final putts and headed back to the clubhouse, ready for the evening’s activities to commence.

A two-course meal and a selection of drinks from the bar had the teams in high sprits, despite sore legs and backs. This was followed by the eagerly-anticipated award ceremony, beginning with the presentations of the individual awards; ‘beat the pro’, ‘longest drive’, ‘putting challenge’ and ‘nearest the pin’.

The first set of nine team results had Team Gunn narrowly ahead, meaning there was a tense silence in the Barnham Broom clubhouse before the final results were revealed.

A cheer from the Gunn-affiliated side of the room confirmed victory for the Canaries legend for the second year running, much to the delight of the Scotsman.

The 2024 Golf Day champion then took centre stage to host the live auction, where a variety of exciting prizes, including signed Norwich shirts and tickets in the Carrow Road hospitality suite, were all sold, with proceeds going directly to the Community Sports Foundation.

In total, the event raised a fantastic £6,500. Thank you to everyone who attended, your contributions go a long way in supporting the work we do in the local community.

Thanks

Events Manager Paul Hunter said:

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Bryan and Ben for giving their time to headline this years Foundation Golf Day.

The support and generosity of our players coupled with the unwavering support from all of our partners and sponsors enables us to maximise the funds we are able to raise at the event.

I would also like to take a moment to thank Debbie, and the team at Barnham Broom who continue to be unbelievable hosts and a real pleasure to work with.”

A big thank you goes to our sponsors BBA Digital Media and Norwich Accountancy for supporting the event.

Also to our partner sponsors, DMD, Audi Norwich, Woodforde’s Brewery, Ovamill Limited, CIM, Cobra, PUMA, Adam Ferguson Decorating Ltd, Norfolk Hire, ESP and Haswell Training