A bright and breezy day greeted the players at Exminster and they were rewarded with stunning views over the Exe estuary. The course is one which rarely appears in the list of match venues and Mark Watkins, the Exminster captain, warned players to expect a challenge.
A hiccup with the usual lunchtime sandwiches was quickly remedied with the provision of the golfer’s staple – a bacon bap.
The match was played from the white tees which enabled the 9 holes to be played from different tees to form 18 holes. This did cause some confusion in one match with a player teeing off from the wrong tee!
In the same match, the question was posed to an opponent: “have you ever been a captain?”. Oh dear …
The course itself was running fast with many shots having to be played from the back of the green (and beyond) following over enthusiastic approaches.
Sadly, the Devon team did not manage to make the most of home advantage. With a repeat of the usual 4½ – 3½ defeat – the only other result this season being a washout draw – looking on the cards, one of the S&H players in the last match smacked his drive over 200 yards with a strong crosswind on to the 18th green. He then proceeded to sink the putt to deliver the coup de grâce and the match ended up as a 5½ – 2½ win for the visitors.
A convivial dinner overlooking the driving range gave an opportunity to witness proper golf swings with many youngsters enjoying a coaching session.
Captain Jeff Laing reminded players on both sides that revenge would be sought the following day at Teignmouth.







