Sidmouth seniors net Millenium Plate success over the ladies

The forecast rain thankfully kept away and the match was played in wonderful late summer sunshine.

Ladies’ captain, Angela Coles, and ladies’ vice-captain, Maria Clapp, launched things for their team, and had an eight shot advantage over the seniors’ captain, Hugh Dorliac and seniors’ vice-captain Bruce Harcourt.

It proved a very close match with only one hole in it at the turn, but a remarkable lob shot down the hill by the men which saw the ball bounce and roll into the hole, started a good run for them and they eventually ran out four-and-three winners.

Liz Chance and Sue Hackett made it all square winning three-and-two and then Alison Cook and Margaret Deuce came in having also won by a good margin to take the ladies into a match lead at 2-1.

Dorthe Fowler and Paddy Hutchings had a generous 20 shots advantage, but couldn’t stem the tide of good play from John Bainbridge and Colin Mitchell who were the winners of their tie, bringing the match to all square at the halfway stage.

The next two matches kept the tie even and the result in doubt, but then Dave Berrett and Alan Billinghurst who was drawn against his wife Sue and her partner Judy Ritz won fairly comfortably.

The final pairing of Penny Lyne and Andrea Milton chose today to have a poor round and their opponents, Dave Atkinson and Mike Anderson prevailed, to take the match for the seniors to an overall score of 5-3.

A superb buffet followed, supplied by club cater Kerry Culshaw and her team, during which the result was announced. Angela was pleased her team had an improved result over last year and announced that the men would be giving the ladies seven courtesy shots next year to ensure a much tighter finish.