The following obituary was written by Richard Stocks (SC 53-58)

We have recently received the sad news that Graham Dudley has died just short of his 90th birthday.

Graham was the Hon. Secretary of the OTGS sometime before I took over in 1968, and he became Captain in 1973 and 1974. He was a devoted attendee of our Spring Meetings and firmly believed that all aspiring Halford Hewitt players should play in the meeting. He himself attended 50 consecutive spring meetings before advancing age finally prevented him.

He played in 16 Halford Hewitts between 1956 and 1975, completing 53 matches with a scoring record of 53.8%. He was unfortunate to start playing in our fallow years. Earlier, when we had plenty of seriously good golfers, we should have won the trophy, but we were a team of individuals, not to say prima donnas, one of whom was reputed to race to the bar to be able to explain first how badly his partner had played. On one occasion an eminent Old Rugbeian, on entering the dining room at Royal St Georges, exclaimed that it was the first time he had seen the Tonbridge team sitting down and having lunch together.

Graham’s long-standing partner was the Walker Cup player Alec Hill, with whom he played in 8 of the 16 years. They were an unusual partnership; Alec was a superb striker of the golf ball, but had a strange rather scoopy putting stroke. Graham, also a superb striker, barely reached 5ft 6 and was affectionately known as the jockey. They blended well together. Graham reached the semi-final three times over his 16 years.

Graham played his golf at Brookmans Park and was a Chartered Accountant in a medium sized local practice. He married Brenda, who predeceased him by several years, and they had a family, Jane, Alison and Nicola. For many years they used to holiday in Cornwall, where Graham could play golf at St Enodoc.

Though, quiet and self-effacing, like many accountants, he had a wicked sense of humour which emerged when least expected, and of course he was an immensely loyal member of the OTGS.

(HS 47-51)