This week at Mendip Golf Club saw the annual running of the Men’s Coronation Cup with 120 competitors taking part.
A very stormy day presented difficult playing conditions with only two players bettering par and four equalling it. Winning Division Three, with net 70, was Steve Moore, who was followed by Steve Turner on 71 and Graham Colbourne on 72.
Division Two was won by Michael Kent, with net 71, followed by John Shakesby, 72, beating John Ellis on countback. Division One saw a win for Wayne Black, with 71 beating Sam Reilly on countback, with Simon Messenger third with 72. However, the best score of the day, a fine net 68, saw victory for Paul Apfelstedt, who becomes this year’s Cup holder.
Mendip’s A Team in the Avalon League recorded a comfortable 5–0 win over local rivals, Wells, to keep them in the title chase with two games left. Mendip’s wins came from Team Captain, Paul Reake and Steve Whalen, Jordan Vaughan and Rick Kefford, Chris Lindley and Ian Fairclough, Danny Middle and Alan Fussell and Wayne Srawley and Steve Coates.
The final Ladies’ Open event of the season took place this week and saw a full field, who enjoyed beautiful weather and with the course looking near its best. Overall winners were Marian Speed, Karen Cookson and Hazel Bevan (Burnham and Berrow) with 83 points. Best Visitor’s prize went to Jean Padfield, playing Valerie Fraser and Eliza Vail, both from Long Sutton, who scored 78, beating Chris Olds playing with Christine Francis and Marian Underhill, both from Orchardleigh, by a single point.
Best Mendip Team was Patricia Rawlins, Cora Pavey and Andrea Williams, with 72 points with second place going to Wendy Norman, Eileen Masters and Liz Rose with 70.
The Ladies’ Inter League Team just lost their match away to Tall Pines, 3–4. Home wins came from Anita Butcher, Di Stanton and last minute replacement, Jill Jestico, who sank a fine putt on the eighteenth to clinch her victory.
Mendip’s Gill Brown and Aimee Sawyer put in fine performances to finish second and third in the Somerset County Silver Division Competition, held at Saltford, losing only to home player and fellow County player, Amanda Mayne.
The Seniors entertained a strong Bath Team and just went down 2½–3½. Mendip’s winning pairs were Mike Lill and Mike Snaith and John Cross and Philip Moores with Norman Squire amd Nick Inskip gaining a half. Nick Inskip recorded an Eagle on the ninth via a ricochet from an adjacent tree (although I do not recall a tree anywhere near the green!). Seniors’ Captain, David Pilbeam, recorded an unusual feat when his match had to declare the fourth hole null and void, with all four players having lost their balls!
The Seniors then visited Orchardleigh, but encountered another defeat, 2–4, with Mendip’s wins coming from Simon Atkinson and Merlyn Saunders and Henry Banks and Alan Evans-Jones.
Playing for Orchardleigh, where he is also a member, was Brian Francis, who, with his partner, found himself five down with seven holes to play, yet came back to win one up!
The Mendip Mixed Team entertained local club, Wells, who fielded a very strong team, resulting in a win for Wells 5½–2½. It must be said that Mendip, continuing its policy in encouraging the higher handicap players to play in fixtures such as this, had to give shots in all the games, fourteen in one of them! Mendip’s sole win came from Bob Smallcombe and Margaret Allen with Jinhee Page and Keith Gadsden, Patricia Rawlins and Tony Griggs and Pauline and Alan Williams gaining halves.
Mendip’s Seniors’ Mixed Open attracted a good field with all the visiting players seeming to enjoy their visit to Mendip.
Overall winners, with an excellent 48 points, were P&J McLaughlin, from Chippenham, who were closely followed by D&Y Bridge, from Chestfield, who scored 47 points and who won the best visitor’s prize. Second in the Visitor’s category was T&S Edwards from Isle of Wedmore with 42 points. Best Mendip pairing was Chris Atkinson and Peter Davies with 41, just beating Rod Dyson, playing with late replacement Nichola Croft, who scored 40.
Tony Williams