The East Devon Golf Club ladies’ section have had a busy month and enjoyed some excellent results.
Starting us off was a match at Teignmouth in the Devon Golf Division 1 & 2 Open and Barbara Mellor won the Devon County Stableford Cup in Division 2 (of Division 2) (Hcp 29.5-40.4). Two other East Devon GC Ladies, Deirdre Mackness and Peggy Lomas, were placed in the top 10.
On June 15 at Okehampton, the Ladies Seniors Championships was played with a field of 52 ladies. Congratulations go to East Devon GC’s Eilidh Cameron whose gross score of 82 gave her first place. EDGC’s Rosemary Pratt came in with 85 and a 5th place in the gross competition.
Eilidh commented that ‘due to the steep slopes of the Okehampton Course, placement of the drive was crucial to keeping the ball in play or it would roll and roll, finishing behind trees or in the rough.’ (Your writer comments from sad experience that it’s not just the drive … it’s most of the fairway shots.) She found the greens faster and more undulating than those that East Devon GC offers, so the day was altogether challenging.
On June 23, our Annodata Ladies team of Judy Murray, Jenny Dobel, Sue Loynes, Deirdre Mackness and Nina Hawkins played their second round game at home against Axe Cliff GC. They reported an excellent result with 4 wins and 1, loss so now move through to Round 3 where, at home, they will be playing Saunton GC.
Our Devon inter-club teams have played strongly this month with our Still Cup team (a scratch event) winning their first round away match against Stover GC. Our Presidents 2 team won their first round match against Exeter.
Our Sheelah Creasy team won their first match, playing away at Exeter and followed up a week later with a second win, playing at Woodbury Park.
Returning to our Tuesday Ladies competition day at EDGC, it was the first of our Ladies Open Days. We didn’t have quite the usual number of visiting players but, of course, the restrictions due to Covid-19 had had an impact. Nonetheless, on a pleasant day, we had 14 teams of 4 players competing and all our visitors said how much they had enjoyed playing our course.
June 8 was a Medal and Palmer Cup game. In Division 1, Ali Miller came in with a 73 nett score and Barbara Middleditch netted down to 71, both excellent results against a Ladies Red Tees par of 74, and Barbara winning the Palmer Cup.
On the 22nd we played a County Stableford competition combined with the Horton Cup (Hcp 20.5-54.4). Anne Serle came top of Division 1 with 39 points, Maureen Reynolds was top of Division 2 with 40 points and Vikki Bowes topped Division 3 with 36 points, winning the Horton Cup.
Well done to all the winners of our Club competitions.
A major event of the Ladies’ season is the Ladies Championship, which was played on June 29. The championship entails two rounds played on the same day, a taxing event.
The weather was generally kind throughout on the day. From a field of 15 brave souls, Gudrun Nolan emerged as our Champion, returning an excellent gross score of (78+80) 158, just 10 shots above the Course par of 74 (x2).
Sally Underwood came home with combined 170, nett 148, which placed her as winner of the nett competition. Congratulations to our two winners and to all 15 players who made it round the course twice.
Our Course has been looking beautiful throughout the month of June with deer and pheasants spotted regularly. The plant life has been blooming with (amongst others) English bluebells, rhododendrons, orchids, heathers and, recently spotted (in the rough, of course) was a small area of harebells.

Exmouth Journal: Harebells on the 16thHarebells on the 16th (Image: Barbara Mellor)

Exmouth Journal: Ladies Captain Carole Brailey with our 2021 Ladies Champion, Gudrun NolanLadies Captain Carole Brailey with our 2021 Ladies Champion, Gudrun Nolan (Image: Barbara Mellor)

Exmouth Journal: Refreshments at the 10thRefreshments at the 10th (Image: Barbara Mellor)

Exmouth Journal: The 12 at East Devon GCThe 12 at East Devon GC (Image: Barbara Mellor)