Mendip Men’s Mid-week Tankard, despite a bitterly cold wind, attracted 58 competitors.

Greens Chairman and Club Captain Elect, Richard Jefferies, won Division 1 with an outstanding 40 points that resulted in a handicap reduction to 4.6. Second, with 35 points, was 1 handicapper, George Morgan and in third place, Tom Howe, with 33 points.

Division 2 saw the best score of the day with Spencer Pocock scoring 41 points well clear of David Baker, with 34 points, who was the best of a three way tie, with Simon Wheeler, third.

Division 3 saw Adrian Brooking Clark continuing his recent impressive form winning with 36 points. There was a four way tie on 35 points, with Clive Mays second and Nick Inskip third.

The annual running of the Hodder Cup, a four ball better ball competition where the top 32 players proceed into a KO Competition, attracted a large entry of seventy couples. With the course drying out and the greens putting extremely well, scoring was always going to be low, resulting in even some of the net 69’s not qualifying for the KO stages. In third place was the pairing of S. Whalen and W. Black, with net 63, beaten by Tim Lamb and Club Chairman, Ian Fairclough, on countback, but clear winners with a net 60 was S. and C. Butland.

The Ladies Inter Club Team, this year under the Captaincy of Chris Williams, opened their League Season with a home fixture against Tall Pines. This resulted in a 4½–2½ victory with excellent wins for Mary Ainsworth, Nola Russell, Mary Ware and Chris Williams, with Diane Stanton gaining a half.

The Ladies Friendly Team also commenced their season when visiting Farrington. In poor weather conditions, Mendip performed strongly and recorded a 4–1 victory, wins coming from Ladies Captain Hilary Rowdon and Caroline Simper, Chris Williams and Nichola Croft, Julia Phillips and Wendy Norman and Captain of the Day, Sandie Roper and Pauline Williams.

Despite persistent rain, the Seniors monthly stableford still attracted an entry of 58 Competitors. Winning Division 1 with 36 points was James Harris, closely followed by a re-vitalised Derek Bellew, with 35 points and this despite many putts ‘just getting away’! In third place came Clive Mays, with 34 points. Division 2 saw an excellent victory from probably the Club’s longest active member and despite having health problems over the last couple of years, Geoff Hayes, with the days’ best score of 37 points. He was followed by Alan Edwards, with 35 points, beating John Jarvis on countback.

Mendip Seniors, under the Captaincy for the day of Bryan Lewis, finally won their first match of the season when beating Cumberwell Park 4–2 at Mendip on a dry day, but with a biting wind. It was interesting and flattering to hear from the away Team Captain that they had had thirty Seniors wanting to visit Mendip and play in this fixture.

Unfortunately, the Seniors good form could not be maintained when playing Kingsdown, going down to a 1–4 defeat with only Seniors Captain David Pilbeam, partnered by Nick Inskip, recording a win.

Mendip Seniors will be well represented when Somerset play Wiltshire with Peter Davies and Ian Perkins being selected along with ex-Mendip member, Richard Streeter, who now plays out of Burnham and Berrow.

The Mendip Mixed Triple 6 Competition, this year held in support of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, attracted a good entry of twenty couples. In second place was the husband and wife pairing of Anita and Phil Butcher, with 39 points, beating Rob and Elaine Richardson on countback. However, clear winners were Sandie and Alan Roper, with 44 points, helped by Alan gaining 2 gross birdies in the first six holes each with a shot! After the event, Ladies Captain, Hilary Rowdon, presented a cheque for £537 to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance representative, Helen Jefferis, who warmly thanked Mendip members for their generosity.

Tony Williams