This year’s match was held at North Hants GC in bright sunny weather except for light rain for the last 45 minutes, preceded by a tasty brunch. As usual, the course was in fine shape and the event was enjoyed in good spirit all round. The changed format was 4-BBB Matchplay amongst five pairs with handicaps calculated in accordance with the R&A / USGA guidance. It was very nice to have Iryna Photiou, her son Alex and Mike Hudson playing this fixture for the first time.

Out first pair of David Barwell and Tony Dunn won 4/3 against the Uppingham Captain playing a single (they were a player short). Jo Grey and Mike Hudson lost 4/3 with one of the opposition pair playing unbeatable golf off a handicap of 13. David Dunn and Alex Photiou battled hard after trailing in the early holes but went down by 7/6. The match result turned on the two other games involving Patricia Seath with Colin Farrant and Iryna Photiou with David Burt but the OEGS lost both of these on the 18^th green. OEGS and Uppingham are pretty even since we started this fixture.

My thanks go to all the OEGS team for supporting this event.

Next year the fixture will be moving to Blackmoor Golf Club which is a little closer to Eastbourne but still eminently accessible from London, Surrey etc. Blackmoor (at #71) rates higher than NHGC (#82) on the Top 100 England golf courses list.

Jo Grey

From left: Tony Dunn, Alex Photiou, Patricia Seath, David Burt, Mike Hudson, David Barwell, Iryna Photiou, Jo Grey, Colin Farrant, David Dunn.