A really busy weekend at Sidmouth Golf Club kicked off with Friday evening’s club annual general meeting where Neil Holland became club captain, taking over from Colin Macklin, writes Tim Aggett.
The AGM introduced new highly competitive golfing packages for the under 40s.
Neil is a past captain of Devon, in fact was captain in the year of the county organisation’s Centenary and is a highly experienced top rank player, having represented Devon’s first team on many occasions in both the Channel League and South West Counties Championships. He has also twice won the Dartmoor Trophy to be South West Mid-Am (Over 35s) Champion.
On Sunday morning, after last year’s captains, Colin Macklin and Sheila Faulkner, had hit their final putts in office on the 18th green, Neil and the new ladies’ captain Gill Paddon hit their formal initial tee shots up the first fairway to mark the start of their year.
Video of both is on the club’s Facebook page.
The two captains have agreed, together, to support Cancer Research UK as their charity for the year.
Once the day’s golf competition was over, a charity auction was held in the clubhouse with an array of offerings, including golf at major courses around the region, tickets for Exeter City and for Exeter Races, a really generous offer of taxi services, paragliding and all sorts of food, toys and family fun experiences, raising in excess of £3,300.
What a fantastic way to start the year.
Our very grateful thanks go to sponsors Total Beauty, Willow Studio, Blunt, Salty Monk, The Fruit Cup, Paper Moon, Silver Lynx Taxis, Someday Something Tea Room, Paul Hook, Roger Winchester, Mark Bathard, and from sports clubs Exeter City and Exeter Chiefs, golf clubs Saunton, Trevose and Ashburnham, club caterers Kerry and Wayne, club pro Ross Troake.
And as for the competition on the day, the Texas Scramble was won by the team of James Winchester, Jack Hodge, Nick Gater and Tom Hodge beating Colin Paddon, Bob and Linda Reynolds and Annie Carter on a back nine countback after both teams returned scores of 17-under par 49.
Kevin Howe, Martin Crockett, Terry Jones and Paul Murphy were third on 49.2. Sue Billinghurst, Sally Fox, Mo Borer and Gerri Whitlow took the ladies’ prize with an 11-under score of 58, ahead of Jane Renken, Ros Eaton, Ann Willoughby and Anne Blackler.
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