Farrington Park’s England amateur international, Josh Hilleard, showed more than thirty Gloucester and Somerset PGA professionals a clean pair of heels by winning the latest medal by three shots at Orchardleigh.

The 21-year-old left-hander from High Littleton shot six-under-par 66 to win by three shots. He started quickly and holed short putts for a birdie at the first and an eagle at the second. He gained another stroke at the fifth, before he found the water with a wayward drive at the ninth to drop his only shot. He took his birdie tally to five with three more at the 11th, 14th and 15th.

His playing partners, Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) and Will Hobbs, (Mendip Spring) said that it was wonderful to have a front row seat to witness such an accomplished round.

Juniors

Farrington’s Junior section completed their first season in the Bristol and District Junior League with a resounding 5–0 win over Thornbury. This secured a very credible mid-table finish in their half of the draw, in what has proved to be a very high standard junior league.

Although the team ended just short of enough points to make the league play-offs they recorded the equal second highest match win count across the whole league, including a home win against league finalists, Long Ashton. Kendleshire Blacks, who were also in the same half of the draw, are the other team to reach the final which will be played at Farrington on October 8th.

To top this off, the team of Alex Bendall, Izzy Hansford, Abby Gray, Jake Russell, Jackson Cary and Alex Marshall also competed in the knock-out finals against Lansdown at The Kendleshire.

Despite damp weather, there was plenty of great golf on show and although losing the three-team foursomes format, 2–1, the result could have been reversed, as two matches finished on the seventeenth hole.

Men

Countback was required to settle Division One of the Saturday Stableford as three players totalled 37 points. Paul Gregory was first, followed by Danny Farnen, with Alan Manning third.

Mark Jennings, taking the honours in Division Two, on 38 points, followed by Haydn Wyatt, 37, with Dave Swain, third, 36. Ian Jones won Division Three on 31 points, followed by David Pigott, 29, and Nick Farrar, 28.

Liam Dunne won the Romaine Trophy with a score of 86–64 from Dave Teal, 83–69, who beat Mark Turner, 86–69, on countback.

Ladies

Lally Gibson scored 32 points to beat Carol King by one point in the Coppers Salver, a Stableford competition over the Duchy Course for players with a handicap of 33 and above.

The scores were very good, despite having to encounter greens that had been freshly treated with sand, naturally slowing down their putts, a new experience for some.

Seniors

With British weather in complete disarray you could be forgiven for believing that it was perhaps the middle of June, not September! Short sleeves and shorts were re-introduced to the course on a fine day to be golfing.

A Texas Scramble (six drives each) was the format, and with the course heavily sanded for micro-tining, putting was tricky.

Results: 62.88, Steve Cook, Tony Edwards and Bill Waddington; 63.63, Graham Price, Bob McKeegan-Brown and Mo Duery; 64.00, Tim Waller, Garth Pusey and Gerald Shearn; 64.25, Colin Robinson, Tony Thorp and Len Salter; 64.25, Rob Chappell, Rick Clark and George Tyrrell.

Nearest the pins on 5th, George Tyrrell; 8th, Steve Ball; 14th, Colin Robinson; 15th, Steve Gay.

The team beat Wheathill 4.5–1.5 in a home friendly match. There are only two more matches left this season, at Isle of Wedmore on October 11th and at home to Woodspring on October 20th.