At the end of the season the four main representative teams of Sidmouth Golf Club, along with a select side picked by the captain, get together and play for the Claret Jug in memory of Peter Ikin, writes Chris Roberts.

There are eight players per team who play in pairs and the aggregate totals decide the winners of the trophy.

Although the competition is taken very seriously, there is a great deal of fun had along the way and the occasion is also seen as one of the highlights in the social calendar as well.

The Palairet team are well known for adding a touch of panache to their dress on the course over the years, and this year team captain Neil Holland decided that they would go the whole hog and all wear full fancy dress; there were smurfs, nuns, Max Wall impersonators, and even a couple of players in fat suits!

The result of the competition was a resounding win for the Palairet team who had an aggregate score of 160, thirteen points ahead of their nearest rivals the B team. The Emerton Court team, made up of senior players, finished in third place with 146 points whilst the East Devon League team could only manage a lowly fourth place with just 138 points.

The Captain’s team finished where they ought to finish – last! No-one really cares about the result and there followed an evening of fine food and wine, with much laughter and merriment including one ‘max wall’ and one ‘nun’ seen leaving the local night spot in the early hours.

The team captains all made a speech to thank everyone for their support during the year and as always, the friendship, camaraderie, and fun was the real reason why everyone was there.