The Axe Cliff seniors and ladies held their second friendly game of the year on the best day of the week on a calm and pleasantly warm day last Monday, writes Dave Bruce.

With the course looking - and playing – beautifully, the seniors, on their best behaviour, and exceedingly good manners, paired up with the ladies in a four-ball better ball stableford format played over 15 holes – apparently so – to allow the ladies more room for chatter once we got back to the 19th!

Mind you, seniors captain Dave Bruce was missing one of his players at the start, but was told by other members that he was out on the course.

Dave jumped into a buggy and went looking for him. Thank goodness he had only completed one hole and driven off on the second once Dave found him.

In Norman’s defence he said he knew he was playing in some competition, but could not remember which one so joined the roll-up as they were going out first. He was welcomed back by his lady team partner Anne Jarvis with open arms and, I believe, a smile on her face!

Eventually the game got started and everyone played well despite having only 90 per cent of their handicaps under four-ball better ball rules.

The clear winners were Jill Wellington and John Hanna with a magnificent 34 points. John, always the gentleman, said Jill played better than him. Second and third could not be separated on total points of 31 each, but fellow captains Caroline Bond and Dave Bruce just edged second place by scoring seven points on the last three holes to six scored by the strong pairing of Malcolm Glass and Margaret Kenchington.

Caroline did tremendously well despite only getting back at midnight on Sunday from a weekend playing in France and getting the points on nine of the 15 holes.

She also organised the prizes and cards and her team, but that’s nothing to a former headteacher. I promised not to mention that the Mars Bars were won by Janet Dack and steward Martin Chapple!