Now the new golfing season has arrived, it was appropriate to present the Seniors’ Winter Eclectic competition winner with his trophy last week, writes Hugh Dorliac.

Seniors’ captain Chris Grubb did the honours, presenting the winner’s cup to Tony Stoyle, who had been unable to receive it on Opening Dinner night as he had been away on a well-deserved holiday.

In recent action, the seniors’ team travelled to Cricket St Thomas for their first away fixture.

After a welcome bacon bap and coffee and an exhortation from the captain for the day, Mike Davis, to improve on the five-and-a-half to a half drubbing of last year, he led off with his playing partner Charles Brown in warm, bright weather conditions which saw jumpers being discarded very early on.

With his own words ringing in his ears, Mike and his partner found themselves two down in very short order and sadly they never recovered, despite some strong play during the rest of the round.

Then, rather like the ‘Miracle at Medinah’, fortunes changed! Len Wright, fresh from his win at the weekend, playing alongside Colin Paddon, went ahead early on, but the home team fought back and took the lead. The match drew level with three holes to go and stayed that way until the end, providing the only draw of the match. Steve Nunn, playing with Brian Cole, played strongly, withstanding early pressure. After going behind, the match drew level midway through the back nine. The Sidmouth pair held on to beat their opponents on the 18th, picking up the first win for the away team. Malcolm Couldwell and Ray Gunton had set off at a blistering pace, with Ray playing out of his socks and putting and chipping-in from everywhere.

They blitzed the Cricket St Thomas pair by a magnificent eight-and-six for yet another win for Sidmouth.

H Thompson and Graham Vincent were the penultimate pair and they enjoyed a really competitive match.

They too seized the day, winning two up, on the 18th green.

The final pairing of Hugh Dorliac and Glyn Hewitt, unaware of what was going on ahead of them, played a really steady round, never going behind and leading at the halfway stage.

Ten and 12 were halved before Hugh won the next two to go two up. With honours even over the next few holes and the home team only managing a draw on 17, the Sidmouth pair won their side’s fourth match to seal a brilliant four-and-a-half to one-and-a-half away win, leaving the home captain somewhat speechless. Roll on the home leg!