Busy times at Worlebury Golf Club

IT WAS a hectic weekend with three competitions at Worlebury Golf Club.

Each was played in warm weather, although the wind was also prominent for much of the time. This was particularly so when the second leg of the beat the pro competition was played.

Only a handful had beaten club professional Gary Marks in the first leg, so a large field of almost 100 entered to have another go.

Conditions in the morning were benign, but as the day progressed the wind strengthened and by the time Gary went out at the end of the field, it was making scoring difficult. His gross 74 allowed 48 members to qualify for the final in August.

Leading the way was Matt Matter with a brilliant nett 63, closely followed by Ben Dolbear with a 64 and Jason Dean on 65. Jason pipped Declan Dorrington and Chris Whittle on countback.

The monthly medal produced some excellent scores. In Division 1, it was the old guard who came to the fore. Pete Gilpin and Paul Simmonds each scored gross 71s, the former’s nett 65 winning the day by two shots. David Mellor came third with a net 68.

In Division 2, Declan Dorrington won with a fine nett 66, beating Andy Hurne by a single shot, with seasoned campaigner, Frank Barlow pipping Dave Collard for third, both scoring 69.

The round of the day was played by James Grant in Division 3, who won comfortably with an amazing nett 62. Henry O’Shea was second with 66, beating Peter Hill by a shot.

The seniors held a charity competition which was also high scoring. Colin Hicks won with 43 points, beating Frenchman Marcel Josling by a shot, with John Sokol third on countback.

Worlebury Golf Club winners: Ian Johnstone (nett winner, club championship), Matt Matter (beat the pro winner), club captain Paul Gardiner, gross champion Josh Freeman and Division 2 medal winner Declan Dorrington.

WESTON Golf Club ladies captain Tessa Williams celebrated her captain’s day with a full field on a glorious summer day.

Playing a team bowmaker with mulligans, kicks, throws and a piece of string to aid difficult putts, it made for an entertaining round.

The team in first place with 111 points were Beryl Robert, Joan Jenkinson, Mel Rossi and Kaylee Davey. A close second with 110 were Gay Long, Pauline Lancaster, Sue Osman and Virginia Rossi. The third team were Angela Cook, Sally Brosnan, Zena Balcombe and Penny Johnson finished with 108.

Silver nearest the pin: Sally Irlam,; bronze: Caroline Poole. Silver longest drive: Jade Cope; bronze: Pauline Lancaster. Sarah Stoker won the putting competition.

The ladies were treated to a superb lunch courtesy of the lady captain with the tables beautifully decorated in the colours of Provence.

The winning teams were presented with prizes following the French theme and Tessa thanked all competitors, staff and committee for supporting her special day.

A Weston Stragglers team played a team of 12 from Worlebury on a windy, but sunny evening. The conditions made play difficult, but Weston came out on top 6-0.

Weston ladies winning team: Mel Rossi, Beryl Robert, captain Tessa Williams, Kaylee Davey and Joan Jenkinson.

THE Burnham & Berrow Golf Club annual captains’ charity day raised over £11,000 for the local based Help the Child Charity.

Over 140 competitors turned out to support the event. Burnham members Andy Towens and Brian Colome, playing alongside Scott Nightingale from Worthing, won the team event with 81 points in the bowmaker format, giving them a four-shot victory over David Doley from Shrewsbury, David Clibbourne from Beau Desert and Martin Preddy from Weston, who scored 77 points.

Two of the ladies’ teams also fared well with Liz Matthews, Ros Gait and Jane Cooper tied for fourth place, with Jane Pitcher, Jean Booth and Jill Evans both scoring 75.

At the presentation, club captain Neil Darby paid thanks to the efforts of the team who organised and ran the event, which was supported by main sponsors Howard Garages and many other local businesses.

The seniors open also saw a full field competing in balmy conditions. C Payne from Wells took the honours in a close-run event after a countback from P Craddock from Redditch and P Lindo from The Bristol, after the trio had tied with 36 points.

Fourth to sixth places were occupied by Burnham members Martin Plant, Adrian Beaumont and Robin Bostock-Smith, who all scored 35, with Andy Towens in seventh with 34.

The July Stableford also saw a three-way tie in Division one on 38 points with eight handicap junior member Miles Richardson edging out scratch golfer Jonathan Pitcher and 12 handicapper Roger Marshall on a countback.

Nigel Holland took the honours in Division 2 with 36 points by one point from Stuart Taylor.

THE seniors’ and ladies championships took place at the Isle of Wedmore.

In the first round of the seniors, Tim Harris equalled the seniors’ course record with a level par 70. His nearest challenger, Terry Clark, was five shots adrift, with defending champion John Russell a further shot back.

In the nett competition, Peter Laney led on 63, but John Cutter was only a shot back with 18 other players all under par.

In the next round, Russell made a quick start with a birdie on the first hole and was still one under after 15. Harris was just one over after nine holes, but dropped another three shots by 15, reducing his lead to two shots.

A bogey on 16 for Russell was followed by a double hit on 16, effectively ending the competition, with Harris adding the club championship to his county seniors’ title. His aggregate of 145 was the best-ever, five better than runner-up John Russell.

Clark slipped to a tie for third with Tony Glover, who took the best gross on day two. Peter Laney strode on in the nett competition adding a 65 to his 63 to take the trophy, ahead of Tony Biggs who took best nett on day two.

The ladies found the fast greens difficult and struggled in their championship for the Insport Trophy.

The shining exception to this was Cathy Olive. Her first round 80 put her six clear of Jane Hewitt in second, with Liz Hill a further two shots adrift. Val Webber led the way in the nett competition for the Directors’ Cup, with a 69.

No-one really challenged in round two and Olive continued her triumphant progress with an 85 to claim the title by 13 shots from Dawn Chadwick, who just moved herself ahead of Hill, with Hewitt slipping a further shot back in fourth.

A big change in the nett competition saw Webber falling back with a 79, allowing both Joan Peck and Deidre Wheadon to pass. Tied on 147 countback over the last six holes, gave the trophy to Joan Peck.

Wedmore seniors champion Tim Harris and ladies champion Cathy Olive with other prize winners.

PHIL Barry’s score of 43 points was the leading score in Saturday’s Super Series competition at Brean.

He won by three from Barry Fisher, but it was the runner-up who produced the shot of the day in his 40-point total. His seven wood tee shot at the par three 17th found the bottom of the cup for his first ever hole-in-one and with it he scooped the whole twos pot on offer. Third place went to Jim McLauchlan after he scored 38 points.

Bill Griffin beat Mike Allen in a countback for the July seniors Stableford. On a dry but breezy day they both scored 41 points, but Griffin’s superior back nine score was the deciding factor for his success. Pat Mullholland continued his recent good form by scoring 40 points to finish in third spot.

The seniors took on the ladies in a friendly match and ended up victors in a thoroughly enjoyable encounter by two and a half games to a half.

Leighton Jenkins recorded his first win since joining Brean as he won the midweek Stableford. He racked up 40 points off his eight handicap to win by a single point from Mel Brown.

Brown did however move up one place from last week’s third place finish to second this time around. Third place was taken by Steven Eley on 36.