After a couple of hours of torrential dawn rain, several entrants were asking whether the course would be open or were contemplating pulling out; fortunately there were only two actual drop-outs.

Although there were very occasional, localised areas of standing water by the time we played, this did not affect all competitors enjoying a lovely dry, warm and sunny round of golf and some of the scoring was indeed excellent. The clear winners (by 12 points!) were Uli, Adrian and Julian scoring 86 stableford points (14 points more than the ‘par’ two-ball score of 72) and all played well/very well. Three teams posted scores around ‘par’, with Seymour, Rannesh and Richard Y. grabbing 2nd place. Bringing up the rear, Jayne, Richard O. and Jeremy could probably have posted a more competitive score if they had given more thought beforehand to their Player 1, 2, 3 order.

The sweep was played in unseasonably warm post-Eqinox conditions and only the bumpy greens, following hollow-coring, were an excuse for modest scoring, especially as the rough has died down further. Cheryl took the honours with 36 points, two ahead of Ted on 34 points, with Rannesh and yours truly a further point back on 33 points. Sweep pay out to the top 2.

From memory it was a cloudy morning but brightened up in the afternoon. I don’t know whether there were any rain showers at the park but there was certainly 30minutes of rain in Cheam at exactly the time I was walking my 4year old grandson home from school – without coats or an umbrella we got soaked.

Anyway, the scores were good for most of the field and it was particularly pleasing to see Teddy’s return to form with 41 points and solid rounds from Seymour and Andrew. Recent new member Rob Carlile pipped Teddy on countback and is certainly the man in form, as he also won yesterday’s RPGC medal competition on Dukes with an astounding net 58; the good news for us all is that his handicap index has now been reduced by 11.3 strokes (to 17.3).

In pleasant early autumn weather conditions with only light winds, all teams posted good scores. However, the team of Justin, Rannesh, James and Adrian posted an exceptional net score of 55 shots (gross 63) to be the clear winners. They played the front 9 with 8 pars and one birdie and then the back 9 with 4 pars, 4 birdies and one eagle – truly unbeatable.

With dry but overcast late summer conditions the women again showed their liking to the Dukes course. Well done to Sheena with a winning score of 35 points, two ahead of Richard N. again posting a competitive score and with Ann G. coming in 3rd on 31 points, beating Jeremy on countback. It could have been so different for Naveed, who’s 34 points should have been 36 had he not penalised himself 2 shots for hitting his trolley on the 17th and then signing for an incorrect score.

Six teams of 3 played Princes in pleasant weather conditions but, at the end of the day, only the two teams with women members challenged for first place. The winning team of Jayne, Veronica and Richard O. finished on 75 points (3 better than the ‘par’ score of 72 points) and the runners up with 71 points were Cheryl, Justin and Naveed (the pre-comp. tip to be the winning team). Jayne’s birdie on the 16th and the pars by both Jayne and Ronnie on the 17th got us over the line, despite Justin’s birdie on the 17th.

On a dry but somewhat overcast day, it looked for a long time that 36 points would be the winning score, that was until tail-ender Richard Norden posted his 44 points score. Richard had a birdie 3 on the 9th hole and pars on 5 other holes – well done Richard, you’re playing much better than your 30 handicap would suggest and we look forward to you being ‘cut’! John Morris and Naveed were 2nd and 3rd, both on 36 points but John having the better net back 9 holes. Sweep pay-out to the top three players.

Thankfully we only had one very brief, sharp shower otherwise it was a good day for golf with a brisk southerly wind.

A high-scoring and very close competition resulted in 3 of the 5 teams posting a score of 48 stableford points, with the other teams not far behind with 44 and 45 points – well played to all.

Countback determined that the team of Giles, Justin and Mike H. were the overall winners with a gross score of 67, including 3 birdies. In 2nd place were Brian, Colm and Adrian with a gross score of 68, including one birdie and an eagle on the 14th. The 3rd of the 48 pointers were Cheryl, Jeremy P., Rannesh and Richard O. with a gross score of 67 including 7 birdies – their bogey on the 14th, all missing a 2 foot putt, was the difference.

It was an all too familiar Friday story weatherwise with very heavy rain showers drenching all but the two early starters. A number of players walked in on the back 9 and a few more of us should have! Notwithstanding the conditions, and the continuing long rough in front of the tees and away from the fairways on Dukes, Justin continued his recent good form posting a winning 35 points. Richard B. was second (33 points) including NRs on the 5th and 6th but 10 pars on the other 16 holes. Rannesh was third on 31 points, a steady round with two NRs.