Archives for 2018

The final match of the matchplay season for both counties was at the Long Sutton Golf Club, once again a new experience for most of us Devon men. On a very pleasant warm sunny day the course, as everywhere hard and running, proved to be quite tricky. Thanks to our opponents volunteering guidance and information, there is a ditch meandering throughout much of the course, we managed to avoid many of the pitfalls awaiting the naïve golfer. If one were to play the course again, on many holes the driver would stay in the bag. The course requires and benefits from strategic play and knowledge, the greens having recently received its maintenance … [Read more...]

Paul Smale - Ian Cornwell - Tony Davis - Ben Lynch Arriving at Torquay Golf Club it was immediately obvious how the recent rainfall has 'greened' up the golf course, a very welcome sight. For those players who have not payed Torquay fairly recently there are some fairly dramatic changes to the course, possibly the most significant is the eighteenth. What was a strong par 4 finishing hole is now a par 3 of around 160 yards, we played forward of this on yellow tees. Other changes deeper in the course include the eighth hole also becoming a par 3, previously a par 4. Apparently the course is still in transitional state and other changes are in … [Read more...]

Lew Easter - Harrison King - George Holland - Ben Lynch This rearranged match from a rain soaked course in April this year could not have provided a greater extreme, brown fairways hard and running. With much needed rain forecast later in the day and the weekend I'm sure many of us will welcome it with some relief. The current condition however provided some spectacular driving distances from our young opponents, for example Craig Passmore, on the long 10th hit an enormous drive  into the light breeze and took a wedge to the green. The club, now under the guidance of Jon Langmead and Jodie Bee, is looking very positively toward the future. … [Read more...]

Ben Lynch - Elizabeth Ward - Janet Emery - Bob Webber Where to start, back at Staddon Heights where the SSS differential provides four additional shots for our fair opponents a tough match was in store for sure  ….hmmm, what an understatement ! In the oft repeated words of Brian Clough, "we started badly and then fell away". Subsequent to last year's narrow victory and several years under the cosh, victory was not essential but certainly a desirable outcome. Popular Ladies Captain, Janet Emery (Stover), disarmingly friendly and vivacious led her ladies from the front winning her match 3/2 with a broad smile and a concealed stiletto . Worse, … [Read more...]

A very early tee time at West Cornwall necessitated a number of Devon alarm clocks to be set for 5.30 or thereabouts. Apparently there are a few changes in the Cornish administration taking place and somehow the early start materialised! Arriving first, after a swift journey from Dartmouth, my frequent fellow traveller Lew and I arrived early and enjoyed a first class full English breakfast, Cornish style. As both teams arrived old faces and friends from Cornwall were welcomed with the usual banter and leg-pulling. Many of the Devon team were experiencing West Cornwall GC for the first time and therefore were needful of guidance from the … [Read more...]

Arriving at Teignmouth GC it was of course no surprise to find the course in the same condition as most other courses at the moment. Dry and arid fairways punctuated with green greens desperately kept alive with expensive watering and good husbandry from greenstaff. Therefore it was no surprise to hear of the many birdies in some matches and, the odd eagle which my partner Stewart and I were to suffer on 13 with drive, rescue and one putt from our opponent Grenville. On the second hole one of our opponents, Brian Marns, holed out for an ace and subsequently bought everyone in the match a drink, very generous thank you Brian!  The most … [Read more...]

  An early start was needed for the long journey to almost the most northerly point in Wiltshire for this match taking place at Wrag Barn GC. It turned out to be well worth the journey with us enjoying superb facilities in the clubhouse, a wonderful golf course that I would highly recommend to anyone, which have been even better it had the benefit of some substantial rain, followed with excellent food and hospitality from our friends from Wiltshire. Unfortunately, their friendship didn’t extend quite so much out on the course with them retaining the trophy with a 51/2 to 21/2 victory. Our Captain, Ben, maybe not so ably … [Read more...]