38 LADIES competed at Thurlestone GC’s Shine-for-nine competition where they can play 18 holes and then select the best nine scores.

Annabel Lark was the winner with 29 points, ahead of Mary Swan (27pts) and Tsai Wharton (26pts). Julia Dorey, Tricia Swindell and Victoria Gibbens scored birdie twos.

On Sunday, it was the turn of the men to play for the Graham Cup in a medal competition, played by 32 from the white tees. The weather was not kind in the morning with heavy rain.

Chris Watt won the trophy with a nett 65 and it was presented to him by club captain John Rogers. Jonathan Axten (nett 66) and Nick Armstrong (69) were close behind.

On Saturday, it was the Dartmoor League team’s turn to play host to Bigbury in five, four-ball matches. Mark Beal and Jonathan Axten won 3&1, Jim Stewart and Gary Raymond won 5&4 and Alistair Whaley and Martin Oakes-Monger won 4&2, giving Thurlestone a 3-2 win.

Torrential rain greeted the players at Staddon Heights for the senior captain’s away day. Luckily enough, the weather subsided just before teeing off and so all were able to enjoy the course with accompanying views of Plymouth Hoe.

Winner on the day was Geoff Holt with 34 points, beating Bill Ogley on countback.

There was three nearest the pin hole prizes with Steve Gallagher winning two and Mark Greatorex taking the third. There was one nearest the pin in two shots which was on the tricky sixth hole- Bill Ogley won this. A great dry day was enjoyed by all golfers.

SIMILAR to Girl Guides, Dartmouth ladies like to be prepared and so were playing their Daily Mail Foursomes qualifier ready for 2026.

Chris Mushens and Jules Vincent took full advantage of the course playing beautifully with a series of pars, which gave a clear winning score of 41 points. Second place went to Beccy Barrett and Karen Oldrieve with 34.

The Dartmouth course ladies were playing a fun Stableford instead and a five-point start helped Barbara Dally (34pts) to finish ahead of Sharon Jones (32pts).

A relatively small field took on the men’s midweek Stableford but the quality of golf remained high. Kevin Eighteen was third on 38 points and 41 should have been enough for Andy Birss to take top spot, only for Paul Brown to supersede him with 42.

The Hitchens Salver Gold Medal is a real test of golf. As the name suggests, it is played from the gold tees and, as a medal, there isn’t the luxury of a blob when things go wrong.

Remarkably, five players achieved below par scores, with Rob Barrett on top of the tree with an outstanding nett score of 68. Lee Marels (69) edged out dad Paul Marels (70), Steven Boyde and Jack Kirby also on 70.

Good scoring continued in the Mixed Stableford which was running alongside the Hitchens. It’s often the last group that brings in the highest score and that was true in this competition. Pete Hannaford’s 42 points beating Brian Mushens’ 40 and Karen Oldrieve’s 39.

Players from across the South West peninsula were welcomed to Dartmouth’s Mixed team Open on Sunday. A surprise rain shower did nothing to dampen enthusiasm and a trio of visiting teams took the honours.

Graham Hayward, Val Hayward, Helen Hayward & Roy Mitchell won (91 pts) with second and third both on 88. Dave Collier, Lis Collier, John Craig & Anusara Trayling took second on count back from Nick Hunt, Nigel Jackson, David Hollow & Rob Larcombe.

Finally, many congratulations to Lee Marels, who won the Ronald Hall Salver, a prestigious 36-hole medal competition held at Stover Golf Club. With rounds of 70 and 71, Lee was three shots clear of his nearest challengers, who were both members at Stover.

Congratulations also to Roger Mawson, who finished third in the Michelmore Trophy, the parallel handicap competition.

MONDAY, July 28 saw the fourth round of the Dartmouth Senior’s Cup, played off of the championship blues.

This round looked to sort the men from the boys as the stragglers take their places in the field- 24 competitors took to the course.

David Sparks currently leads the overall event standings but was not in the field for this one. One man was out on his own in terms of scoring and it was near nonagenarian David Ward who, together with his generous handicap, totted up an impressive net 61.

Flying Scot Alistair Forbes was second with another fine round littered with many birdie & pars, ahead of third-placed ‘Radar’ Roy Baldwin.

In summary, with just one round to go, many will be glad to get back on the Stableford bandwagon where potential cricket scores can be blobbed. The winner of the Senior’s Cup could still emerge from five or six well-placed players and a certain Trevor Pretty lurking in Oz with just two good rounds in the bag!

Birdie twos were scored by David Ward on the fifth and Alistair Forbes at hole 18. Competition guru Nigel Osborne oversaw the cards. Many thanks to him as usual.

Roy Baldwin, Gary Bonser and George Reeve are all finely poised in the Senior Cup and Senior of the Year standings, the trio in the top five for both.

In other news, John Gratton & John Thompson beat Robert Wotton & Peter Forde in the Perring Cup pairs knockout quarter-final. Also advancing to the semi-final are Robert Isaacs-Berry & Peter Hannaford, who beat Geoffrey Jewell & Colin Cooper and Paul Harding & Mark Mitchell, who beat Rob Barrett & John Oldrieve.

Ian Metchette beat Malcolm Toone and Gary Bonser beat Graham Burton in the Blight Trophy individual knockout quarters.

Elsewhere, it was another disappointing day at the South Devon Seniors League fourth round at Stover on Friday, July 25.

Despite some reasonable mid-thirty stableford scores, the team of six pairs finished in fifth place and remain anchored at the rear of the five-club league. The fifth and final leg takes place at Dartmouth on September 10, where home advantage can hopefully shine through.