THE Dartmouth Golf Club seniors’ Monday competition this week was the final qualifying Stableford of the calendar year. The standard 95% course handicap allowance was in play for equity purposes and red tees were the start points over the shorter course.

33 seniors were in the field on a very windy and bitingly cold day and the weather did not improve throughout the round. If anything, it got worse, blowing a gale on the higher elements of the course.

Bunkers were mercifully out of commission as they did receive many wind-driven shots, so a drop outside no nearer the hole without penalty was available.

That said it was a difficult day for scoring, but there are always one or two who defy the odds. On this occasion, it was Bernard Taylor & Tim Cronin who set a very high bar with outstanding rounds with Bernard just getting the better of Tim by a couple of points.

Bernard’s gross 81 was by far and away the best of the day equating to 37 points, scoring at every hole. Tim Cronin was ever consistent on the still-saturated fairways, with just a couple of blemishes on his scorecard but a fine score nonetheless.

Roy Baldwin (34pts), Steve Atkins (31pts), John Oldrieve (31pts) and Andrew Dix (30pts) came next with birdie twos from Mario Aresti on the seventh plus Trevor Pretty and Bernard at hole 18.

In summary, not the ideal day for golf with some, understandably, unable to complete their rounds. The clubhouse was a welcoming warm end!

Nigel Osborne downloaded the results, so many thanks, as usual, to him.

Next week sees the winter Texas scramble followed by the annual Christmas lunch. All the shenanigans will be in this column.