Weymouth Golf Club Collecting my partner for the day, and good friend Lew Easter, we left Dartmouth at 9.15 expecting a journey of about two hours to a course most of our Devon team mates had never played, Weymouth Golf Club! As it was it took two and a quarter hours, with substantial traffic along the A35. Arriving at the club it looked to be a lush parkland course and an impressive clubhouse overlooking the practice putting green and alongside the first tee. The traffic took its toll on a few of our travellers arriving with little time to spare. We were warmly welcomed by our hosts with a mug of coffee, followed by some … [Read more...]

Woodbury GC. July 6th Glenn Page -Paul Hayburn - Gareth Evans - Graham Heaman The day started with players arriving at Woodbury GC having one eye on the lowerering skies looking filled with imminent rain! Fortunately, that rain did materialise but although in relative proximity, not whilst our visitors were engaging us in battle on the golf course. Despite very heavy rain, the previous evening, the course was in very good order albeit with the odd few areas a trifle wet. Greens in excellent condition with good pace, all things considered, and putted well. Our annual adversaries arrived with a player short, the result of 'track and … [Read more...]

Day two and a little further north, Ludlow GC our next venue and apparently within the Ludlow racecourse! Upon arrival we were greeted with a racecourse and substantial grandstand and sure enough within the race track a golf course. I am still trying to find words to describe the course itself. Probably a heathland course in some ways, with gorse and bracken in places but unlike anything I have ever played. Partners met and play commenced a little early, to help our chauffeurs depart when matches were decided and a rolling meal eaten immediately after finishing. Once again the Devon boys strove to improve on the previous day's result, … [Read more...]

Captains Graham Heaman and Amrit Singh with partners Steve Spicer & Roger Thomas The Shropshire Tour is yet another step toward a return to a form of normal. Our band of athletes, now a tradition, headed to the Premier Inn base near Hereford the previous day to the first match on Wednesday at Burghill Valley GC. Thereupon wining, dining and bonding commenced at the nearby Beefeater restaurant and pub. Not unusually much wine and ale consumption proved not to have been affected by Covid. Next morning, rested and refreshed, our players emerged to a fine morning and an appetite for golf. Burghill Valley GC, only 8 minutes from our … [Read more...]

Our new Captain's first match and a return, almost, to a new season that will hopefully be completed in the manner in which we used to play. Graham Heaman led us back to the familiar welcome from Dainton Park, always enthusiastic and enjoyable. Our opponents from Warwickshire were unfortunately three men short, in a "one off" situation, Bob Fletcher brought along his wife to bring their number up to fourteen. Brian Waggett & Glen Page, two gentlemen, did the honourable thing and lost this match, intentionally of course!! The other matches however were keenly contested and that on a course that the Warwickshire team had not played … [Read more...]

  Visiting Sidmouth to play our match versus Somerset was enhanced by the fact that today was Roy Smith's 90th birthday. A remarkable age achieved by a remarkable man! Everyone was very happy to sign a card wishing Roy a very happy birthday. Our friends from Somerset arrived a little early, enabling a tasting of the local ales together with some very tasty sandwiches and chips. In the absence of Graham Heaman, Vice Captain, Bob Webber was entrusted with starter and photographic duties which of course he is well used to. The weather was mercifully far better than the previous day, dry, warm and a little breezy. Those who had … [Read more...]

After a good night back at our hotel we had a pleasant journey, importantly going toward home, we arrived at our venue Landsdown GC, known to several of us from previous matches. Fairly easy walking and adjacent to the racecourse, tree lined and parkland. Most were confident that the forecast was to be relied upon, dry and moderately windy. Our hosts were very welcoming and a very nice light luncheon set everyone up for an enjoyable match, Gloucester quite keen to reverse the match result at Torquay GC last year. The first three matches comfortably going Devon's way the Captain's optimism was understandable, how we flattered to … [Read more...]

The Devon tourists, heading for the training ground at the Premier Inn, Evesham, understandably had both eyes on Carol Kirkwood and her weather pointers for the following day! Dire, the forecast and several doubting Thomas's, yours truly amongst them, were encouraged by our ever optimistic Captain to remain positive. Quite miraculously we played the whole round without even a drop of rain! Our venue, a nine hole course in the midst of 125 year celebrations, was another unknown to all Devon players and a good number of our opponents. Played from two sets of tees most holes were substantially different from first time around. With the … [Read more...]

This annual match versus the ladies is always popular, keenly contested and good fun! This year's venue, Teign Valley GC, not visited for some time and in some aspects somewhat changed, to those of us not having visited recently. The hotel now just a shell, after the fire a few years ago, is apparently now scheduled for replacement later this year. The bar and lounge area rearranged and user friendly, together with very friendly and efficient staff. The golf course reflected the lack of rain, as do many others, with the greens in good order and putted nicely. The weather forecast was not too accurate and some mizzle was experienced by most … [Read more...]

Returning to Holsworthy GC meant that a few Cornish players lived closer to the venue than some Devon opponents. Always assured of a friendly welcome from the club, one of the owners was on hand to ensure everything ran smoothly. An earlier start ensured some benefit to those of us traveling from distance. A couple of late substitutes, Mike Badcock and Lew Easter, were paired together and provided a handsome win for the hosts. This however was not reflected throughout the rest of the team, matches one and two came in with a point each but Devon had to wait for the final match providing a welcome half. The course varied considerably, in … [Read more...]