In the latest round of East Devon League fixtures, the Sidmouth Golf Club team travelled to Woodbury Park to play Padbrook Park eager to keep their unbeaten record, writes John Rockey.

Following the festivities the previous day at the Captain’s Day celebrations, there were some interesting results in which Sidmouth suffered some large defeats, whilst at the same time winning by equally large margins.

In the first game out, team captain Lewis Perry and his partner John Jones went down five and four to give Sidmouth a bad start, but this was soon overturned when Neil Holland and David Pepperell won by the same impressive margin to bring Sidmouth level. Equality was maintained when Stuart Coles and Neil Bunting halved their match, but a seven and five trouncing received by Luke Sheppard and Andrew Thomson soon put Sidmouth at a disadvantage.

However, Sidmouth Golf Club captain, Paul Hitchcock, must have written the script for the weekend when he finished off a memorable couple of days by teaming up with partner Trevor Kerridge, fresh from his early exit from the previous night’s party, to come home six and five winners. This last gasp win meant that Sidmouth had managed to draw the match and so keep their unbeaten record this season.

The Friday League competition at Sidmouth Golf Club was fought out among the lower handicapped players in the club, writes John Rockey.

Off his four handicap, John Jones had the best score of the day with a one over par 67, which gave him 39 points. Second, but four shots adrift, was seven handicapper Mark Thomas who has been running into some good form lately. Thomas’s 35 points was good enough to see off third placed Mark Lavers who came in with 33 points off his three handicap.

Lavers was a trifle fortunate to get third place, as Chris Roberts would have taken the spot on a countback, if only he had remembered to sign his card, and he doesn’t have ‘old age’ to blame for his regretful lapse!

In the overall standings, Roberts’ faux pas meant that he didn’t gather any league points and remains on 41 points, just ahead of the fast-closing Mark Lavers with 39 with Marc Shoobridge in third place on 38.

In the Charles Stanley Monday Stableford at Sidmouth Golf Club, the 40 participants had to put up with more indifferent weather, but had good scores.

First was Martyn French who impressed with 44 points and earned a handicap reduction to 12. French amassed 19 points on the front nine, but stormed back in level par to win by three points. Second was course record-holder, Nigel Winchester who scored 41pts and will now be playing off a five handicap. Nigel just edged James Spiller, who also had 41 points, into third place.

In the seniors’ competition, Roy Smith claimed top spot with 36pts to just beat off Chris Ashley on a countback with Bob Cook and Ed Bambrough getting the other places.