History for Great Torrington golfers

Great Torrington Golf Club has made history with victory over Exeter Golf and Country Club in the final of the Emerton-Court Trophy golfing competition, the premier team event for Senior Golfers in Devon.

Having fought their way through four very tough qualifying rounds, including an excellent win over Tavistock in the semi-finals, Great Torrington met fellow finalists Exeter at Churston Golf course in South Devon, featuring delightful views over Torbay and with a notoriously difficult and long opening par 3, which would have a big part to play in the finale.  

A bright and breezy day following the heavy and prolonged rainfall over the weekend ensured both teams found the course in excellent condition after much work from the green staff to make the course playable. 

After 11 holes, the outcome of the match between five pairs of players from each club did not bode well for Great Torrington. Losing four matches to one on the course it looked as though Exeter were going to be clear winners.

Not so, fighting back wonderfully well after 18 holes, the match was tied at 2.5 games each. In those circumstances, the leading pair from both clubs play sudden death golf to determine the winner.

The first hole at Churston is a 230 yard par 3 hole and four excellent drives left all players very close to the green. Great Torrington almost birdied the hole when a putt hit the flag but stayed out of the hole.

Exeter could not match the score of 3, so Great Torrington emerged as winners. It is the first time they have been in the final of the 47 years competition and they won at their first visit. The match was played in a terrific and friendly spirit between two very evenly matched teams.

Elsewhere at the club, Reece Andronik and Dan Copp have reached the Daily Mail foursomes finals after a dominant 6 and 5 victory over a pairing from Shirehampton, their seventh win in this prestigious competition. Reece and Dan will play in the finals at Marriot St Pierre in Chepstow in October.  

Great Torrington Golf Club is set in glorious countryside in the heart of rural North Devon, just seven miles from the beach at Westward Ho! 

Owned and managed by its members, the club extends a genuinely warm welcome to members and visitors alike. Great Torrington Golf Club was founded in 1895, moving to its present site on Furzebeam Hill at Weare Trees in 1932.