Guy Thompson Celebrated at Castletown Golf Links

Castletown Golf Links celebrates the achievements of the late Guy Thompson with a small presentation praising the accomplishments of Suffolk's Number One

This April Castletown Golf Links hosted a small afternoon tea presentation for Desiree Thompson, the widow of the late Guy Thompson.

Mrs Thompson was presented with a framed obituary celebrating the achievements of Mr Thompson, one of Britain’s Top Amateur golfers in the 1930s-40s.

Beginning his sporting career in games other than golf, Thompson played for the Blackheath Rugby Club.

Yet Thompson soon abandoned his pursuits in other sport and took up golf. Thompson chose and represented Adelburgh GC as his home club.

This move saw Thompson become Suffolk’s Number one golfer winning many County Championships, notably the prestigious Prince of Wales Cup at Deal in 1933.

In the same year, Suffolk’s Number one beat the previous year’s winner, Tony Torrance on the 20^th in the third round of the British Amateur Championship at Hoylake.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of Thompson’s career was the 1934 British Open at Royal St Georges Sandwich.

After qualifying Thompson was to miss out on the Amateur Silver Medal, finishing behind Henry Cotton.

The 1935 Open at Lytham saw Thompson play again as did the 1938 Open returning to Sandwich. However the outbreak of the Second World War denied Thompson the chance of Walker Cup honours.

Thompson continued his golfing career throughout his life. On Tuesday 14^th August 1990, at the age of 83, Thompson scored a hole in one on the 16^th hole at Castletown Golf Course.

Using his 5-wood, Thompson watched the ball sail over 170 yards to the green. This was the octogenarian's fourth hole in one, a remarkable achievement.

The new owner of the Castletown Golf Course, Philip Vermeulen, has already begun considerable enhancements to the course to help put the course, and the achievements of Guy Thompson, back on the map.