The Army won the Operation Christmas Box Charity Golf Day Annual Forces Championship at Foxhills Golf Club on Tue 9 Jul 24, marking their first victory since 2014. The event took place on a damp and overcast day.
Teams from the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force began the day with a 0700 tee time, enjoying what felt like “Millionaire’s Golf” as the only other people on the course were the greenkeepers. Competing on the challenging Longcross Course, the teams vied for the annual Forces Championship in an individual Stableford format, with the best two scores from each team contributing to the team score. As live scoring updates were available, the tension grew throughout the round, with teams closely monitoring each other’s progress until the 14th hole when live scoring paused, with the Army 9 points ahead. At the end of the round, the individual scores were as follows: WO2 Matt Priston – 33pts, WO2 Craig Butler – 35pts, SSgt Dewi Williams – 41pts, and SSgt James Stafford – 26pts. However, the team had to wait until the prize giving ceremony to learn the final outcome of the championship.
After completing their round, the players assumed caddy duties, each assigned to a four-ball team from the 17 sponsor teams attending the charity golf day. Using the insights gained from their morning round, the military players guided the teams around the course, shared military experiences, and discussed the positive impact of receiving a box from the charity while deployed over the festive period. Despite the worsening weather, the spirits of all participants remained high, and the standard of golf did not waver. Many players smiled and joked their way around the fantastically presented course, which is set to host the International Series England, an Asian Tour event, from 8-11 Aug 24.
As everyone finished their rounds and gathered in the clubhouse for food and refreshments, the clouds broke, and bright sunshine appeared just in time for speeches from the main sponsors of the event, followed by the prize giving ceremony. The Army, having built a strong rapport with their afternoon teams, received enthusiastic cheers when they were crowned the Annual Forces Champions for 2024, with a winning score of 92pts, followed by the Royal Navy with 81pts and the Royal Air Force with 80pts.
The day concluded with an auction of various luxury items and golfing trips/events, raising £15,000 for the Op Christmas Box Charity.

L-R: WO2 Craig Butler AGC (RMP), WO2 Matt Priston AGC (SPS), SSgt Dewi Williams RLC, SSgt James Stafford RE.

Playing the signature 16th Hole on the Longcross course.