Returning to Stover GC again, after hosting President’s Day earlier this year, for literally this evergreen match, green also the chosen hue for our visitors blazers and ties. The dining room at dinner resembling a palette of luxuriant foliage, with the odd bloom punctuating the verdant landscape ! As ever a number of friendly faces from within our visitors team, previously experienced on the golf course, were very welcome to a golf course in pristine condition. The staff as always, friendly and efficient, both in house led by David and Paul and in the Pro Shop led by Andy Fox.
The match was not without incident, even before the first ball was struck, our Vice Captain inadvertently filling his fuel tank with petrol rather than diesel! Poor Terry not only unable to attend the match but several hours later and £190 pounds out of pocket ruefully returning home. Keep your fingers crossed gentlemen, apparently over 150,000 people do so every year ! Four replacements had to be called up for the Captain to field a full team, two on the day itself. Apparently the Captain and his partner Brian ‘Waggs’ Waggett, who stood in for Stover’s Captain, had their parents lineage called into question subsequent to some lengthy putts and occasional ‘chip-ins’!!! The weather mercifully relented after everyone starting with full waterproofs and gradually discarded before a lovely August evening.
Our guests fielded several familiar faces Ian ‘Woody’ Wood, Secretary Jim Murdoch and Ernie Kee to name a few. With the exception of a couple of games most returned decisive results as the result sheet reveals. The victors receiving the trophy with, as tradition demands, a ball marker added from the host club. So, refreshed with local ales and thankfully showers available once more we gathered for a most satisfying 3 course meal and evidently enjoyed by all present. It was also a pleasure to see in our own team players not yet able to be regulars in attendance, Nick James, Devon Golf Chair, Rob Vooght & Bob Beeson (Stover) and hardy stalwart Peter Northcott (Torquay) health issues preventing Peter from taking part in some while.
Thank you’s and speeches delivered our guests left for a lengthy drive home in sunshine and dry roads, until the next time………
Malcolm Jordain