The interclub fixture with Royal Worlington is usually the first match of the year and always heralds the start of spring and the golfing season. This year the match was played at home and, despite the spring maintenance program being carried out in the preceding week, the course was in superb condition for the time of year with slightly firmer fairways than we have had of late and the ball rolling very nicely on the greens.

First match off the tee at 9am was Men’s Captain James Greenall and Trevor Clifton playing Royal Worlington’s Men’s Captain Tim Greet, a former member of The Links, and Nick Longford (pictured). The opening exchanges were level by the halfway mark but then the Links pair started to “stretch their legs”, so to speak, and concluded an ultimately comfortable victory by 4 & 3.

Second pair Barry Peak and Malcolm Simmons were not so fortunate, playing against an in form Chris Brown and Tim Hide, whose performance belied his 21 course handicap, the Links pair going down by 2 & 1.

John Yuill and Eddie Clark held up the Links end with a fine 2 & 1 victory over Chris Fell and Alan Howick with the final match of Dale Cole and Keith Fountain yielding to Ranald Topham-Smith and David Yandell by the same margin. Final result – a very fair 2 all.

Following play we were joined by Club President Andy Wylie for an excellent meal of Roast Beef with the usual accompaniments and Cheese and Biscuits, all washed down with a very nice Rioja and some port from the bar.

Visiting team organizer Chris Brown was moved to comment that “nothing could have been better” about the fixture and there was universal acclaim from our guests for the state of the course and the meal. A great start to the interclub match season.