Message from the Captain
It is a great honour to be elected as Captain of the Chartered Accountants Golfing Society for 2022/23 at the start of the 125th year of CAGS existence and after two years of partially restricted golfing activities. I have been a member of CAGS for nearly thirty years, playing in meetings and matches mainly in England but also in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany.
As a society, CAGS has a fine selection of events, including singles, foursomes, greensomes and fourballs, generally in stroke-play format for meetings, and in match-play format for matches against a wide range of similar golfing societies, and at some of the highest regarded golf courses in England and elsewhere.
CAGS membership is open to ICAEW or equivalently qualified Chartered Accountants, whether still working in practice or business, or retired. Although the current membership is mainly retired males, CAGS welcomes lady members and there is no restriction on golfing ability, with golf handicaps ranging from low digits to thirty plus, across a wide range of ages. New members of whatever gender and golfing expertise will always receive a friendly welcome.
There is a varied calendar of one day meetings, from early spring through summer until late autumn. Regular venues include Woking, Tandridge, Worplesdon, Moor Park and the New Zealand Golf Club near Woking. One day matches against other societies include opponents such as Chartered Surveyors, Solicitors, The Livery Company, Stock Exchange, Hazards and Medical Golfing Societies.
Annual matches against French Accountants (“Les Experts Comptables”) and against Irish Accountants are generally played over three days and alternating between home and away, with some fine overseas venues being experienced, including Portrush, Killarney, Cork and Kilkenny in Ireland and Dinard, Chamonix, Nimes and Bordeaux in France. These matches are competitive, but also very sociable, with sufficient down time available within the three day schedule to enjoy fine food and drink.
There are some informal golf group trips in the CAGS calendar to foreign parts, including in past years Cyprus, Turkey and Morocco. Partners are welcome at these events, whether golfers or not, to enjoy the social aspect if not the quality of the golf.
The main event is at the end of the captain’s year of office, comprising three competitive rounds over two or three days, arranged around the formal society annual general meeting and a prize presentation dinner. The AGM meeting in May 2023 is scheduled for Weston Super Mare Golf Club on the North Somerset coast.
Following the covid related cancellation of several events in the last two years, there is a full programme of meetings and matches scheduled for 2022-23. I will be playing in as many of these events as I can during my term of office and look forward to meeting many “old” and new members of the Chartered Accountants Golfing Society.
Michael Howard
CAGS Captain 2022/23
