Result: 3½-1½ Win

The team comprised Sheena Harrington, Anne Koychev, Maureen Slade, Julie Smith and Tracy Wright.

As with our Hawtree team, the Richmond Park team were the givers and not the receivers, with Anne having to give 2 shots on 4 holes, her opponent receiving 22 shots. It was only in Maureen’s game that no shots were exchanged with this game going to the 18th green before Maureen sunk the winning putt.

Needless to say this statistic in their favour only enhanced their already very friendly approach to the afternoon, despite one of their team preferring to be watching the FA Cup Final. Although I’m sure that once she found out the result she wasn’t so bothered.

The weather (cloudbursts on & off most of the morning) and the Cup Final were helpful in keeping people away from the course, but despite not having to wait too much, if at all, at most of the holes the round still took 5 hours courtesy of the penal rough around our newly narrow fairways. Fortunately for us, we spent more time looking for the Bird Hill balls than we did our own, a fact reflected in our victory.

Result: 2-3 Loss

Portsmouth is a hilly course overlooking the Solent to the south and the Downs to the north. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight to the west and the views are magnificent from many of the tees. As a matter of interest it has just been taken over by Glendale with a lease of 25 years.

Richmond’s intrepid Team A travelled to Portsmouth on 10th April to play their match, led by Cheryl Woodhouse with Molly Hood, Sonia Inniss, Ros Lake and Pia Langeland making up the team.

The format is match play. This year, for the first time, each player played off their full handicap difference and not 3/4 as in previous years.

The weather turned from cloudy and blustery to a sunny warm spring day resulting in those magnificent views. Although Cheryl won her game the others were not as fortunate. The Team A has therefore been eliminated from the competition.

Cheryl would like to thank her team for their sterling efforts losing only after hard fought rounds of golf and especially to welcome Pia to her first external match play competition.