The County Golfer Challenge competition, an annual event played as a stableford format, was contested at Sidmouth, writes John Barnard.

Prizes including Brittany Golf ferry vouchers and the chance to represent the club in The County Golfer Challenge at Honiton on Monday, August 3, with the possibility of going on to Spain in September.

It was fortunate that course stayed open all day as sea mist kept driving in and made playing difficult. Making light of the conditions was former club captain John Rockey, showing a welcome return to form.

It has taken two long years to get his handicap from six (it’s a long story) back up to 11 and in one afternoon, it was reduced to nine after scoring an excellent 41 points. Birdies on the first and 10th helped, but he scored on every hole in a consistent round which will have given him and his family much pleasure.

In second place was Keith Newton with 38 points with an excellent back nine of 20 points. There were three players on 35 points, but winning third place with a better back nine was Chris (CC) Roberts. He birdied the tenth, but it was parring the 18th which kept his nose in front of the other two, Graham Davies and Mike Davis.