Another unforgettable day with Tee & Torque, and what a line-up we had for our August summer special event at Cowdray Park. From rare Ferraris to breathtaking views on the course, this one had it all. A big thank you to everyone who joined us, and to Tate at Home cafe for getting us off to the perfect start.
The Car Meet
We kicked things off at Tate at Home Café in Ashington, a superb choice for the morning meet. Their coffee and baked goods went down a treat, and the atmosphere in the car park was buzzing from the moment the first cars arrived. With over 20 cars on show, the café car park looked more like a mini concours display than a morning meet-up.
Standouts included a Ferrari 488 Spyder, Ferrari 599, and a glorious Ferrari 550 Maranello, showcasing three generations of Ferrari craftsmanship. An equally exotic Chevrolet Corvette C8, Maserati GranTurismo, and Bentley Continental GT V8 S brought a touch of grand touring flair, while the Porsches were out in force, from 996 and 997 C4Ss to a 991 Targa and Cayman GTS. Rounding off the line-up, the Jaguar F-Type, BMW M2, and an absolutely menacing Caterham 420R kept the variety strong and the excitement high.
The Convoy Drive
After fueling up with caffeine and conversation, the convoy hit the road, an epic train of exotic machinery rolling through the Sussex countryside. The sheer sight and sound of the group as we passed through the sleepy town of Midhurst was something special, with locals pausing to take in the spectacle (and no doubt wondering where to buy earplugs).
True to form, the British weather decided to intervene. A sudden downpour created chaos mid-route, forcing an impromptu stop while Alex wrestled to put the roof on his Caterham, which did generate some entertainment over the walkie-talkies for those watching him struggle! Coordinating over 20 cars on the side of the road turned out to be no simple task and briefly brought the outskirts of Midhurst to a standstill, much to the displeasure of a few impatient road-users!
Despite the rain, the winding roads around Midhurst were superb for driving and made for some incredible rolling footage. The convoy then regrouped and rolled into Cowdray Park Golf Club, where we had a reserved parking area right in front of the clubhouse. Seeing all the cars lined up together created an impressive sight, a proper Tee & Torque touch. Lesson learnt for next time though: smaller convoy groups are definitely the way forward!
The Golf
With the cars parked up, attention turned to the golf. After the usual warm welcome of hot drinks and breakfast, the sun returned and conditions couldn’t have been better. Cowdray Park is a truly stunning layout, with dramatic elevation changes and a challenging opening stretch that tested everyone’s focus. The course was in immaculate condition, drawing plenty of praise from the group. From tee to green, it was pure enjoyment and the perfect stage for some friendly competition.
On-Course Hysterics
Of course, no Tee & Torque event would be complete without a bit of on-course entertainment, and we had one of the all-time funniest moments on the 4th hole. Our very own Ollie, co-founder of Tee & Torque, had endured a rough start to his round, with his opening tee shot, a topped 3-wood in front of the group, setting the tone early. It took until the 4th hole for him to finally connect with a proper golf shot. Unfortunately for Andy Ransley and Steve James-Royle, founder of New Roads, the AI-powered travel partner creating personalised road trips and official partner of Tee & Torque, Ollie’s hero moment took a dramatic turn.
His flushed hybrid got caught by the wind and flew straight towards the buggy ahead like something out of a Marvel film. Despite Ollie’s best efforts to shout “fore!”, Andy and Steve remained blissfully unaware until the ball crashed into the back of their buggy with a sound like a shotgun blast, only to miraculously end up inside one of the buggy’s storage compartments. The pair leapt out in total shock while Ollie and Alex, the final member of the four-ball, were doubled over laughing from the fairway. Thankfully, no harm was done, and the whole group shared a proper belly laugh over the incident. A memorable welcome for Steve and New Roads, life as a Tee & Torque partner starts with fireworks!
The Competition
On this occasion, the quality of golf matched the cars. Cowdray brought out some excellent performances across the field, and it was great to see so many tight battles throughout the day.
Results below:
- Individual Winner: Mark Whitfield
- Second: Peter Hill
- Third: Kevin Owen
- Winning Team: Hill & Toe – Peter Hill, Chris Tresadern, and Mario Smrcek
- Longest Drive: Peter Hill
- Nearest the Pin: Hole 3 – Manton Townend | Hole 11 – Jenny Baker-Carr | Hole 17 – Andy Ransley
We also introduced a new light-hearted award this time, the “Longest Drive” to attend the event. Huge congratulations to Kash Shabir, who took that one home after making an incredible 200+ mile journey all the way from Wales and staying overnight the night before. That level of commitment truly typifies the spirit of this community.
Wrapping Up
A big thank you once again to Tate at Home for hosting us in the morning, and to all 30 attendees who made it another brilliant Tee & Torque day out. It’s amazing to see the events continuing to grow, not only in numbers but in the calibre of cars and energy people bring.
Next up, we close out the year with our final event at East Sussex National in October. If Cowdray Park was anything to go by, this last one is set to be something very special.
