Eileen Daniel Early Bird — The annual prelude to the incoming Captains drive in at Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club saw an increased field take to their starting blocks at 06.30 for the shotgun start. After a deluge at around 4.30am the weather abated to just a moderate to severe gale force ten! writes Barry Sykes.

With the format being St Andrews foursome, scoring was higher than expected with two dark horses taking the favourites by storm. Les Griffin and Graham Sutton topped the field with a magnificent 39 points, it was fitting as this pair play every Saturday morning at 7am so the extra half hour did not really affect their internal body clocks.

The conditions were so windy and the greens so fast that not a single two was returned on the day resulting in a ball draw at the presentations.

After a sturdy breakfast the incoming captains drove into office with Junior Captain Harry Wellington not realising that there was no wind about - hitting his drive 100 yards from the first green. Cliff Surgeoner the incoming Captain was presented with the new Titlist Pro V 10 - the size of a football but easier to hit and no slice problems.

39 Les Griffin & Graham Sutton; 38 Stuart Bryant & Trevor Tape; 37 Mark Yeo & George Ward; 36 Simon Greatbatch & Shaun Marshall; 35 Mike Hudson & Dave Ward; 35 Chris Hutt & Linda Commerford.

Incoming Captains at drive in — Club Captain, Cliff Surgeoner; Ladies Captain, Judith Smith; Junior Captain, Harry Wellington.

King Cups — The start of the Open Season started with the King Cups, a fourball better Ball format competition. A large field of 128 players played in near perfect conditions as the final scores proved, no less than 13 pairs broke the 40 point barrier and in opposition to the Saturday Eileen Daniel day 14 twos were returned.

Members from Dawlish Warren, China Fleet and St. Enodoc were amongst the Bude players on the prize table.

45 Lee Mears & Paul Walton; 43 Dan Balsdon & Mark Jenkins; 43 Dave Edwards & John Rees; 43 Jack Wellington & Ryan Wiltshire; 42 Mike Hudson & Tony Blatchford; 42 Phil Davis & Simon Greatbatch.

Bude Veterans

Match March 24 — Home match for the Seasiders against Saunton. Could we get our revenge after losing away? yes we could by a 41/2 to 11/2 win equalling Saunton's home win against Bude on March 3.

Captain Barry Sykes and Den Haydon lost by 2 & 1, Ron Gilbert and John Ricketts won 4 & 3, Richard Cragg and Mike Willis halved, Jim Ryan and Peter Turner won with the last putt on the last hole, Robert Taylor and Bernie Boniface won 2 & 1, and Neil Wallace with Ken Marriott won 2 & 1.

The successful wine winners for nearest the pin on the 10th were Den Haydon for Bude and Captain of the day Mike Harrison for Saunton.

Roll Up Friday March 27 —

Singles Stableford in blustery showery conditions saw Mike Keat 1st with 37 points, 2nd Sid Box 34, and 3rd Ken Everest 33.

Peter Turner.