Organiser Algy Grimes reports
Having shared a swap day last year on the hottest of days it was good to welcome Northampton to the first interclub match between the two clubs on a very nice day for golf. Unusually for a JOG team we started with an advantage in the number of shots received due to a lot of low handicap players from the visiting side.
The first group of myself and Captain Jonathan set off at a later start time of 9.30am as it took most of the Northampton team about an hour to get to us. (A lesson for when we go there).
We won the 1st, so a good start and it stayed that way until the 4th when the visiting captain got so close to the hole that not only did he getting a birdie but no one else could beat it for him to leave the day with a bottle of wine.
Halving the next two holes until the 7th where they took the lead, followed by another win on the 8th we found ourselves two down and that's how it was at the turn, with Jonathan stopping the rot on the 9th. As with the front nine we won the first hole on the back only to find ourselves 2 down again after 11. The 12th was halved and then came the stream on the 13th! Both visitors chose to try to drive over it, but found their balls did not float so it resulted in a win for us so now 1 down. Having a shot on the 15th proved crucial because that helped us win to be all square.
On to the 16th, nearest the pin for the home team, Jonathan then hit a shot that won him nearest the pin and with a birdie won the hole, now one up with two to play. On the 17th Jonathan played very carefully where the other three of us took chances that didn't work, all finding the 'moat'. Jonathan therefore won the hole and the match for us 2 & 1.
In the clubhouse we were therefore 1 up, then level, 2 - 1 then 2 - 2 . With a 6 & 5 win by Andrew Lawrence & Barry Donovan we went 3 - 2 up, then we found ourselves 3 - 4 down. Awaiting the final result, which came in following a sandy par and three birdies by Terry Domagala, they had won, so overall a 4 - 4 draw.
The quality of their single figure handicap players showed with comments of some exhibition golf.
The meal that followed was enjoyed by all, especially the sticky toffee pudding!
Jonathan chose to reprise a previously told joke in the hopes that at least half had not heard it before, only for one of the visitors to say he knew it after the opening line! A great first match against Northampton with the return to look forward to in October.
The scores were;
Jonathan Lean & Algy Grimes - Won 2 & 1
Peter Jarman & Terry Sweeney - Lost 4 & 2
Ian Riches & Paul Jones - Won 4 & 3
Oz Osman & Kenneth Brewer - Lost 1 down
Andrew Lawrence & Barry Donovan - Won 6 & 5
Rafe Bateson & Rob Ebsworth - Lost 2 & 1
Gerry Degaute & Trevor Darrington - Lost 1 down
Terry Domagala & Tony Goodson - Won 3 & 2
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