Thurlestone Golf Club

They keep stealing the headlines writes Lincoln Shaw.

Those magnificent juniors, who seem to get better and better and force their way into the top spots of competitions at Thurlestone ahead of experienced golf­ers old enough to be their grandfathers.

Take the Graham Cup, for example, play­ed last weekend with 38 teeing up, including some of the club’s most experienced and successful players. Who all fought hard in division one, with three low handicappers scoring a cracking net 69 and having to be separated by that magic computer.

With Rob Came (han­dicap four) squeezing into first place on countback just ahead of Chris Jones (2) and 10 handicapper Matt Messias.

That was that, most people thought, but then along comes that young wonder Sammy Ingham, heading division two and everyone else with a sparkling net 67.

A boy who has seen his handicap tumble recently and no doubt will do so again.

Five shots ahead of the experienced 17 handicap Alan Hark­ness, with the even more experienced Keith Favis (18) a further two be­hind.

A splendid day for many, especially the five players who managed a two and took home a useful £20 each.

Those sparkling juniors, who are always courteous on the course even to old has-beens like me, have had a busy week.

It was very windy when they turned out for a home league fixture against Staddon Heights, but it didn’t blow them off course as they headed for a 4-1 win. Without, for once, the leadership of captain George Holland, who had exams to face elsewhere.

Ethan Bellamy led the way against a very efficient seven-handicapper but got the better of him three and one.

Finn Whelan was also up against tough opposition, an 11 handicapper, but was three up with two to play.

George Messias seemed to have an impossible task, giving his opponent 13 shots, but he too came good and won five and four. Followed by Ben Woods, giving five shots but shaking hands on the 16th after a 4-2 victory.

There was also a foursomes match with Charlie Evans paired with the in-form Sam­my Ingham and they had a cracking game against in-form opposition, losing on the 18th.

All in all a great success, with Thurlestone winning 4-1.

As you might have guessed, Thurlestone ladies have also had a busy week, starting with the lady presi­dent’s team, who travelled to Churston to lose 6-1 against a very strong team.

Not as one-sided as the score suggests, however, be­cause Liz Sharman won five and four and two other matches went to the 18th.

Two days later saw the ladies’ foursomes competition, qualifying for the Express and Echo finals at Exeter.

Top place was taken by Sue Curry and Trish Gledhill with 41 points, six clear of Linda Cant and Jennifer Roberts, with Janet Richardson and Heather Spencer one point further back. Both first and second teams will go on to the finals at Exeter in Sep­tember.

Fifteen teams competed in the club foursomes won by Trish Gledhill and Sue Curry with 41 points, six points clear of Diane Baker and Val Lovett.

Third were Jane Stan­ley and Jane Ma­hood with 34 points, on countback from both Wendy Laud and Liz Line with 34 points, plus Janet Richardson and Hea­ther Spencer also with 34.

Saturday saw a friendly group arrive from Saunton and their first assignment was a mixed Delaney Texas scramble, featuring one couple from Thurle­stone and another from Saunton.

‘The sun shone for all of us and what fun we had. The scores were amazing’, says my on-the-spot reporter Liz Line.

First were Keith Crawford and Sheila George with Peter and Elaine Bond; second Robbie Robinson, Gill Hicks, Peter and Sue Grenville-Smith; third David and Yvonne Pike, Peter and Lee Bristow.

Sunday saw some sore heads and tired faces, but everyone gamely went out and played the traditional annual match – an American Foursomes. Saunton were obviously not as tired as their hosts and won fairly comfortably.

Thurlestone’s winners were Philip and Wendy Laud, Bill Campbell and Jenny McKeague, and Tony and Rebecca White­house.