DARTMOUTH Ladies had medal competitions on both courses to get their teeth into this week.

Some had been having a love/hate relationship with the format and by the end of the day, the hate had deepened for some.

Avoiding big numbers is key but they can creep up when they’re least expected - when the ball finishes under the lip of a bunker or a sudden gust of wind sends the ball into the lake rather than the fairway.

No names for those suffering the most but huge sympathy and support for the player who followed a 14 on the fourteenth with a 10 on the fifteenth and still completed the round.

At the other end of the scale was Jan Cousins, who played to handicap for most of the round and only tripped up on the eighteenth with a triple bogey.

Her nett 74 was eight shots ahead of Jules Vincent in second place and Chris Mayer in third. The top three were the only players to keep scores on individual holes to single figures.

The tee shot on the fourth hole on the Dartmouth Course has a tricky carry over water and quite a narrow landing area - bushes to one side and a hedge on the other. It’s a relief to get through that hole reasonably unscathed, something which Barbara Dally managed - quite an achievement after some trouble on the more straightforward third.

Barbara finished in first place in a 9-hole competition, scoring a Nett 35 and Marion Bell was second with a Nett 38, having found some of that trouble on the fourth.

Dartmouth’s men were also enjoying a midweek medal, and like the ladies, some enjoyed the experience and others wished they had stayed at home. The tenth hole saw the end of some cards - with a rock face and out of bounds on one side and thick undergrowth on the other, a straight tee shot to another fairly narrow landing area is essential.

As was the case with the ladies, there were clear winners in both divisions.

John Oldrieve (69) and Mark Whitworth (70) boasted a substantial gap over the rest of the field in Division One, whilst Tim Cronin won Division Two, scoring 73, ahead of Barrie O’Shea on 77.

Lastly, for the second time, heavy rain caused the postponement of the Barrett Cup on Saturday. A third attempt to play for this popular trophy will be made on Saturday October 5 so here is hoping the weather is kinder to everyone and it is third time lucky.