Sunday and Dainton Park Golf Club were the date and venue of the final of the Parker Trophy with Sidmouth Golf Club getting through to their first County Final for some years, writes John Barnard.

Yelverton were their opponents, played on a neutral venue of course.

Yelverton were expected to have a strong team with county players available to be picked, but Sidmouth’s captain Neil Holland picked about a strong a team as Sidmouth could muster so went into the tie in a confident mood.

Six players a team so three matches in the morning, played as foursomes off scratch (no handicaps involved).

As lunch approached, it wasn’t looking good as the first and third matches were lost quite quickly and as captain Neil Holland and John Jones left the 13th three down, it looked like a poor morning.

We waited at the bottom of the hill on the sixteenth, hoping the match would still be going, only to find Sidmouth had birdied 14 and 15, and the birdied 16 to go all square. A poor tee shot on 17 lost Yelverton that hole and, on the 18th, captain Neil was left with a downhill seven footer to win the match and as expected, Neil holed the putt confidently.

In the afternoon, it was singles, scratch matchplay with Duncan Taylor leading off.

He was two down through three holes, but then knuckled down to win by one.

John Jones followed up his good morning by winning three-and-two.

The last match was won confidently by Damian Gee four-and-three, making a welcome return to play in Sidmouth’s colours again.

Sadly, the three other matches were lost convincingly, beaten by some great Yelverton golf so Sidmouth lost the contest by five matches to four.

This was a great effort by Sidmouth’s finest. In the great scheme of things, Sidmouth is only a small club against some of the giants of Devon Golf so to make the final and be so near to a win was a fabulous effort and the six players, Neil Holland, Duncan Taylor, John Jones, Stuart Coles, Martyn White and Damian Gee did their club proud.