Under leaden skies at best and very sharp showers with strong blustery winds for most of the players, Sidmouth Golf Club captain Paul Hitchcock celebrated his Captain’s Day with some 140 members, writes John Rockey.

With participants teeing off from 7.30am to 2.30pm, getting a good starting time was the luck of the draw and early starters probably had the best of the weather.

Paul cleverly chose a form of competition which was mainly an individual Stableford, but also had a team element with a better ball prize for the even holes on the course which kept everyone interested until the final hole.

With the course in receptive condition following the regular rainy days of late, scoring was expected to be good and indeed for some it was, but there was also some pitiful tales of woe related in the clubhouse after the match.

In spite of conditions being less favourable for the later starters, that is where the bulk of the winners came from and Paul Lewis brushed off the difficult conditions to score 39 points to secure the top prize.

Second, also with 39 points, was Ray Gunston who was in the last team out and he eventually finished just in time for the prizegiving. Ray managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when all he had to do was bogey the last hole to win, but somehow messed it up! Third, with another good score of 38 points in the conditions, was Paddy Tallon who just beat off the challenge of David Pepperell who came in with 37 points to secure fourth place ahead of John Jones in fifth, also with 37 points.

In the ladies’ section of the competition, Yvonne Anning took first prize with 30 points with Liz Chance taking second with 26 points.

The better ball prize was won by Tim Vincent and John Hill with 24 points.

In addition to the main prizes, club captain Paul Hitchcock also gave a prize on each of the 18 holes, so his pockets must be fairly empty by now!.

In aid of his captain’s charity, The Devon Air Ambulance Trust, Paul also auctioned other prizes with the very able assistance of David Pepperell, as auctioneer, who managed to squeeze out nearly �800 from members present adding to the pot which will be presented to DAAT at the end of Paul’s year.

The day was finished off with a dinner and disco to end a very special day in Sidmouth Golf Club’s calendar and pose a massive headache for yours truly, not just due to the refreshments taken during the evening, but because somehow I have to follow Paul’s magnificent example next year.