Day 16 - Dunmow Flitch

An obscure relation of my Mother's (third cousin once removed?) used to live near the Essex village of Great Dunmow.  Every time we drove to visit my parents in Lavenham Suffolk, we used to pass the sign to to my cousin's and I was reminded of the story of the Dunmow Flitch.

As legend has it, this goes back to the year 1104, when the local Prior offered any couple who could prove that they had not regretted their marriage for a year and a day, the gift of a Flitch of bacon (a Flitch being basically a side cut of a pig lengthways).  The tradition died out somewhere in the mists of time but has been restarted and the Dunmow Flitch is now awarded every 4 years.

Why this history lesson you ask? Because today saw the draw for the Club's Flitch Salver: a competition only open to married couples, both members of the Club, and one of the most sought after prizes in the Mixed golfing calendar.

At Burhill, custom and practice is that one generally does not play in competitions with one's other half, except in the Flitch Salver where it is mandatory. And playing mixed foursomes golf is always a great test of character, all the more so when your partner is your partner, so to speak.

Having carried out the draw, my golfing attention turned to tackling the Old Course... Not really sure why we bothered though, as our 3-ball were soundly trounced by our opponents, one of whom managed to play the front nine in +1 off a 13 handicap, and finished the round in 8 or so over. 

Now, when's our first round in the Flitch...?