The inaugural annual Devon Golf Captains Dinner, held at Sandy Park, was very successful in terms of attendance, monies raised for charity and enjoyment for those present. Tickets priced at £50 which provided an excellent meal and four bottles of good wine on each table was acknowledged by all to be excellent value. On top of that a prestigious guest of honour and guest speaker, Rob Baxter OBE Director of Rugby at Exeter Rugby Club, the Chiefs.
The raffle was headed up by a most generous first prize from our existing sponsor, Graham Ruth (Bonjour Golf) worth £1000, a golf trip for two, second and third prizes two fabulous Tour Bags provided by James Langmead (The Golf Shop Online). A tremendous purchase value from those present on the evening meant we could relax as we no longer were in negative equity for the evening. Subsequent to that the Auction, conducted by Mike Badcock, raised some excellent bids for a number of items provided by Exeter Rugby Club, for their Foundation including the history of the club, The Exe Men, donated by Graham Heaman and signed by Rob Baxter. The many remaining items, also donated by James Langmead and additionally by Jim Mardell (Tolchards) a generous wine voucher, also attracted excellent bids. Tolchards also produced the table programmes, to a high standard and free of charge. The final amount raised on the night will be presented equally to the RNLI & Devon Air Ambulance, the nominated charities, in the near future.
Rob Baxter concluded the evening with an insightful demonstration, using video and clips from films, of inspirational coaching and personal development of players individual skills and self-belief. If anyone is qualified to illustrate the qualities required to coach and hone young men to their aims and objectives then it is he himself. Aspiration, Inspiration, Imagination, Perspiration, Realisation all ingredients that have provided success for the Chiefs to date and hereafter.
Finally, thanks to Steve Spicer, Graham Heaman & Bob Beeson, the ‘Dinner Team’ for their time and effort in making our inaugural dinner the first of many.
Malcolm Jordain
