The first Saturday of the month so it must be the August medal at Sidmouth Golf Club, writes John Baranrd.

This month, sponsored by Molyneux Financial planning, the competition was played in glorious summer weather (a nice change!).

Taking advantage of the conditions was Jonathan Lee who won Division One. He started steadily, and, from the ninth, managed three birdies to give him victory by one shot from his great friend, Mark Thomas.

The two of them will have been battling away for the bragging rights, but a pair of bogies scuppered Mark’s chances. In third place was Steve Milton.

In Division Two, Brian Margison, not content with second place in he stableford the day before, went one better and had the best nett round of the day with 62.

Starting with a birdie, he played really solid golf over the last six holes to win by two shots from Ron Davies.

This was a great effort by Ron, into his 80’s now, he managed a nett 64 and was two shots ahead of another veteran of the game John Game.

In Division Three, scoring was not so great. Medals aren’t ideal for higher handicappers, but Michael Smedley played well for a nett 70, particularly over the front nine. Mark Bathard took second place with a nett 72 with Stewart Pile third, a further shot back.

The day was topped off by Adrian (Basher) Baldwin who managed a hole in one on the fourteenth.

You can’t see the hole from the green so there was some looking before the players realised his ball was in the hole.

He won a free watch as it is sponsored by a national competition and free drinks in the clubhouse for all who were there.

You wouldn’t expect to go to Sidmouth Golf Course to swim, but an unnamed member from the Westhill direction practiced his back stoke while lying in the ditch running alongside the sixth hole, much to the amusement of his playing partners!