2006 Season

2006 — A Season on the Brink and the Birth of Something New

With Le Tournoi looking as though it might fail before it had even really begun, 2006 was, to put it politely, a bit of a disaster.

With the organiser taking an enforced sabbatical following an operation and a period of recovery from injury, the responsibility for keeping things moving fell to the remaining members. Unfortunately, enthusiasm for playing golf didn't necessarily translate into enthusiasm for organising it.

Of the four planned Majors, only the first and last were played. The opening event at Westerham went ahead, although the detailed results were never properly recorded. Thankfully, we do know that Wayne Bailey emerged victorious. The final event at Surrey National was rather better documented, with Peter Tysall taking the honours.

With two Majors never taking place, the 2006 Order of Merit was not contested, leaving Le Tournoi's future looking decidedly uncertain.

Meanwhile, not too far away in Gillingham, another golf society was experiencing difficulties of its own.

Based at The Falcon pub, the Falcon Golf Society was already established but struggling to attract enough players and maintain momentum. The landlord, Martin Wells, was keen to breathe new life into the society, and Ciaran Rowe stepped forward to help, taking on the challenge of finding more affordable golf courses and encouraging more golfers to get involved.

And so, while Le Tournoi was struggling to keep its four annual Majors alive, the Falcon Golf Society was enjoying something of a rebirth, with Ciaran at the helm.

Little did anyone know at the time, but these two struggling golfing ventures were about to become part of the same story.

2006 might have looked like the beginning of the end for Le Tournoi. As it turned out, it was the beginning of something rather different.