Melton Mowbray Golf Club ease through in county foursomes

Melton Mowbray Golf Club made it through to the third round of the Leicestershire County Foursomes with a comfortable win.
Melton's county foursomes duo Andy Blunt (left) and Tony Westwood EMN-190530-152406002Melton's county foursomes duo Andy Blunt (left) and Tony Westwood EMN-190530-152406002
Melton's county foursomes duo Andy Blunt (left) and Tony Westwood EMN-190530-152406002

A second-round trip to Charnwood Forest GC faced the Melton team of club professional Tony Westwood and his amateur partner Andy Blunt.

It is a nine-hole course renowned the oldest golf course in Leicestershire and for its picturesque views.

The match was contested in strong windy conditions and the course was playing firm and fast, but Westwood and Blunt overcame their opponents, convincingly in the end, 4 and 3.

Melton GC ladies with their Bedfordshire GC guests before the first of two exchange matches EMN-190406-095058002Melton GC ladies with their Bedfordshire GC guests before the first of two exchange matches EMN-190406-095058002
Melton GC ladies with their Bedfordshire GC guests before the first of two exchange matches EMN-190406-095058002

n Melton’s first pairing out in the Mixed County Foursomes match against Market Harborough last Wednesday were Dale Radford (handicap 6) and Leah Radford (handicap 9), who received four shots from their opponents.

The second pairing was Phil Millward (handicap 9) and ‘Drina Terzza (handicap 21) who received nine shots from their opponents.

The ladies were selected by all pairings to take the first shots and all started well.

Rain started falling about an hour before the start and continued steadily for most of the round.

The Forces and Civilians teams EMN-190406-095047002The Forces and Civilians teams EMN-190406-095047002
The Forces and Civilians teams EMN-190406-095047002

Both matches were very close, resulting in a draw for both teams after 18 holes, and in fading light, the two matches needed to play three more holes each.

Both Melton pairings went on to win 1-up, resulting in a 2-up overall win.

Next up is a home quarter-final with Kilworth Springs on Wednesday, July 24.

n A team of ex-serviceman took on the civilians in a fundraising match for course improvements, organised by club members Bob Luke (Forces) and Haydn Snow (Civilians).

A good turnout of 56 members played in a highly-competitive and always good spirited pairs stableford event which was followed by a raffle.

Club captain Gerry Stephens announced the scores which resulted in a win for the civvies by seven-and-a-half matches to three-and-a-half and a combined 557 points to 547.

n The second rounds of the Ludlow Bowl and Compton Cup bogey competitions were well supported on Saturday.

All competitors played against the par of the course which was in excellent condition, with the day’s standard scratch for the course being 71.

It was a particularly memorable day for Ian Townsend and George Boddy who became category one players (handicaps 1 to 5).

Results: Ludlow Bowl – 1 Ben Manship 7-up, 2 Mark Lewis 5-up, 3 Ian Townsend 4-up.

Compton Cup – 1 Darren Mackie 6-up, 2 Charles Fitzgerald 3-up (ocb), 3 Luke Snow.

n The winter knockout competitions came to fruition last week with 74 players having played in the betterball, and 52 players in the foursomes competition.

Andy Blunt and Ben Turner won the winter betterball final, while Paul Mullins and Steve Burton clinched the foursomes final.

n The Twilight Cup is a new competition, organised by greens director Jim McQuillan, to encourage old and new members to play with different golfers during the early evening competition.

A field of 39 golfers were involved over the weeks and overall winner was Ben Manship with 39 points.

Results – 1 Ben Manship 39pts, 2 Phil Gray 37pts, 3 Gill Hoggan 36pts ocb, 4 Haydn Snow, 5 Maureen McCall 35pts, 6 Mike Hoggan 32pts.

* Last Wednesday, 22 Melton golfers hosted 14 ladies from Bedfordshire GC where Melton lady captain Nancy Denny’s sister-in-law, Hilary Denny, holds the same role.

Nine teams from both clubs played a friendly Florida Scramble in less than Floridian temperatures.

Gross scores were recorded by each team for the 18 holes before 10 per cent of combined handicaps were deducted from the total.

Four teams scored sub-70, but first place went to Melton’s Sue Hitchman and Liz Clark with the visitors’ pairing of Judi Monico and Sheila Fairey (nett 65.8).

The team had a superb gross 35 on the front nine, including two birdies.

Nancy Denny, Bettyne Norton and Sue Bennett, of Melton, with Hilary Denny were second with nett 66.8.

Nearest the pin on the 14th was Julia Brown, and closest to the line on the first was Anne Creed, both of Melton.

Bedfordshire GC will host the Melton ladies in a return match on July 26.