Mendip’s Avalon C Team kept up their fine form with a 3–2 win over Weston-super-Mare. Winning pairs for Mendip were Scott Butland and Dan Allen, Malcolm Srawley and Tom Lowe, Ryan Sainsbury and Tom Chapman.

The Ladies held a medal event, with the winner qualifying for the Dickinson Cup, a county event. That winner was Aimee Sawyer, who won Division One with a fine net 74 well clear of the field, with Edwina Willis second, with 79, beating Gill Brown on countback. Division Two was won by Nichola Croft with 78, with Sue Alcock second, with 83 and Margaret Hawker third, with 85. Division Three was won by Anne Collins, with 77, with Dee Garnsworth second with 80, beating Wendy Norman on countback. Sarah James in Division Two had a net 76 playing her round on the Saturday rather than the Tuesday. A ladies 9-hole stableford was won by Sarah McNab, with 18 points with Caroline Simper second and Gina Howard, third.

The Ladies Alliance B Team, playing in glorious conditions at Mendip, had an excellent 9–5 victory over The Kendleshire. Wins were recorded by team Captain, Jo Espley, Edwina Willis, Lynn Cox and Hilary Rowdon, with Jan Fukuyama gaining a half.

Firstly an apology following last week’s Seniors’ Results. Hard to believe, but it has now been established that Peter Letts is a Veteran Senior and with his 32 points in the Seniors’ Competition, he gained second place! The Seniors halved their match with Sherborne. Winners for Mendip were Simon Atkinson and John Brooksbank, Henry Banks and James Roebuck and Jim Mallon and Adam Spragg.

The Mixed Team visited Tidworth and were well hosted and enjoyed the fine condition of the course. Mendip’s Team Captain, Carol Curtis, announced that the match had resulted in an honourable half. Wins were gained for Mendip by Andrea and Tony Williams, Liz Rose and John Whyman and Sue and Rob Needham, with Pauline and Alan Williams halving their match.

A month has passed and the new professional, Stuart Disney and his team have settled in very well. Stuart is now a Fellow Professional, having first qualified as a PGA Professional in 1993 at the young age of 19. In that year, he reached the Final Qualifying round for the Open before winning the Devon Championship in 1994. He played for a time on the PGA European Challenge Tour before turning his attentions primarily to coaching, at which he has enjoyed a lot of success.

He became the first British-based PGA Professional to pass the Advanced Diploma in Golf Studies in 2007. He coached the Devon County Girls for a number of years and also worked with a number of Disability Groups in Devon. Stuart gained his Fellowship award from the PGA in 2016 and he is continuing his professional development with a goal of achieving PGA Master Professional status.

At the end of 2016, he was named ‘PGA Development Professional of the year’ an award he is immensely proud of. Together with Stuart, the team at Mendip consists of his wife, Suzanne and James Taylor, who has been associated with Mendip since his Junior days. Suzanne and James, in the shop, have been very well received and have made a great impression in a very short time.

Stuart’s reputation has gone before him and he has been overwhelmed with demands on his coaching diary, with not only Mendip and local players wishing to benefit from his coaching skills, but also existing clients from Devon and as far afield as London have already visited him at Mendip. Early days, but the signs are that exciting times are ahead for this very enthusiastic team.

Tony and Andrea Williams