The Sunday after the clocks have changed means the start of the Sunday League at Sidmouth Golf Club, writes John Barnard.

Each Sunday, weather and course permitting, there are different team games with points on offer for the first five places which are aggregated to find the overall winner at the end of the winter season, this year sponsored by Livery Dole Mitsubishi.

Although keenly contested, teams are randomly drawn from entrants each week and it is a good way for members new and old, to play with different groups and make new friends.

This Sunday, the format was a Texas Scramble. This is where all three in the team tee off, choose the best shot, all three play a ball from that spot and so it continues until the ball is in the hole. It should be a quick format, very sociable and is played on a medal basis with a handicap reduction based on 10 per cent of the three players combined handicaps.

Thirteen teams were drawn and easily leading the way with a score of 56.8 were the team of Dan Griffits, Simon Jones and Club Captain John Barnard. Dan and Steve are relatively new members of the Club but seemed to take to the format very easily.

Each player has to get at least four drives counting and on the front nine, Captain John encouraged them to use their drives to get it out of the way. They were briefly interrupted on the ninth green when passing walkers found that their dog took a liking to Dan’s ball and they played the game, let’s catch the dog who proved he was much fitter and agile than the humans.

Some time later, play resumed! On the 18th with a good score going, there was an air of tension as John only had three drives counting but five minutes later, all was well with another birdie in the bag.

In second place was the grouping of James Winchester, David Bater and Les Pratt who scored 59.0. Third were Roger Freer, Hugh Dorliac and Graham Davies with 59.2.