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...]

Jason Bradbury - Hamish Marshall - Ben Lynch - Jim Langworth Arriving at St Pierre it's always a pleasure to enter along the manorial drive and glimpse the first hole and the pin position. As often the first person to greet the Devon boys Arnie Pigeon, the golf secretary for members, this time however 'hors de combat' with a bad back. This was in some way balanced by the presence of George Lowe, the gentle giant, who has been struggling for several years with a serious leg injury and nowadays playing off  understandably 10 handicap, he used to play off 4 ! Amongst the St Pierre team many regulars and familiar faces including Eric Brown, John … [Read more...]

We all arrived bright and early and were surprised by the dull skies and the cooler temperature in North Cornwall compared to what we were used to of late. Equally surprising was that the initial main topic of conversation wasn’t about our upcoming match or even about the England match taking place later that evening, it was about the various routes our Satnavs had used to get us to The Point at Polzeath. Upon seeing the teams we saw that 2 of our DGC colleagues were playing for the opposition, Tim Aggett and Mike Penlington, it was especially pleasing to see Mike as he had been missing for some time due to family issues. The matches … [Read more...]

Playing golf in the South West is, at the moment, somewhat akin to living and playing in California or similar, waking in the morning and becoming accustomed to every day being the same hot, dry and sunny. However, most golf courses in this country are just not equipped to deal with these conditions. Arriving at the usually lush Stover golf club it was not surprising therefore to discover somewhat arid conditions. Good husbandry by the greenstaff meant that the greens had recently been top dressed and not quite as pacy as one would normally expect. Our visitors were on their way home after having played Cornwall the previous day at Bowood GC, … [Read more...]

Andy Bolt - Brian Rice - David Barlass - Gordon Jamieson Day two and entertaining our visitors today at Tiverton GC, nearby their overnight accommodation. Apparently their journey from Honiton to their hostelry was not without incident and humour, the Sat Nav  route discovering some Devon "main" roads had grass growing in the middle! This had the knock on effect for some by substantially reducing ale research and testing, some of our friends from SH&HGC shocked to discover their overnight hosts closed their bar at 11pm, resulting in some team members appearing to be thoroughly de-hydrated. Nevertheless there was an underlying … [Read more...]

David Barlass - Brian Rice - Wref Digins- Richard Board. As always a warm welcome at Honiton Golf Club from Adrian Cave the golf director and Max Pipe, currently Chairman of the club, following the much respected and tireless ambassador for the club the late Alec Gosling. Unfortunately the Captain, Ben Lynch appeared hor's de combat, complete with cane and unable to play! The ebullient Vice Captain, Brian Rice, therefore moving up to lead his men on the day. Ben welcomed Shropshire and Herefordshire to Devon and the club followed by Honiton Captain Richard Board. After a tasty lunch of soup and sandwiches Brian (the lion) Rice led his men to … [Read more...]

Refreshed, breakfasted and for some a good night's sleep, for others disturbances of enormous proportions with snoring and sleep apnea abounding, the tourists left for Solihull some 45 minutes North. Arriving, and with some trepidation with regard to the gloomy atmosphere of foreboding thunder and lightning, our hosts thoughtfully brought forward lunch and tee times and a two tee start. This was hoped to avoid the upcoming weather and get us underway home as early as possible, excellent! The course, once again unknown to most of us, was delightful and in very good condition. A parkland layout with large and very good greens putting well … [Read more...]