With gusting winds and rain forecast, Finals Day last Sunday did not look too good. As it turned out, the rain held off until late afternoon and only the last game was affected, but the conditions were testing throughout the day.

The greens and course had been prepared immaculately by Chris Jenkins and his staff, with Chris out at first light giving the greens their final cut.

SCRATCH CUP

On the tee sharp at 7.30 am the Scratch Cup finalists pairing of Daniel Farmer and Andy Pouton got their tee shots away. Refereeing this match was club secretary, David Hancock, who earlier this year passed his final exams to become a fully qualified GUW referee. The club pro, Rhys Harry, acted as the official starter throughout the day.

The early stages of this match saw Andy Pouton, 2010 scratch stroke play champion, take advantage of a mistake by Dan to go one up on the third, with Dan conceding; however, Andy lost that advantage on the Bell Hole with a bogey five. At the sixth, another mistake by Dan put Andy one up again, but once more on the very next hole he gave that advantage away with a bogey five.

When Andy conceded at the ninth the tide began to turn in Dan's favour. With wins at the 12th, a birdie two, and another mistake by Andy on the 14th with a bogey six, Dan Farmer come into lunch three up.

The conditions were obviously having an effect on the standard of play between these two fine golfers, plus the fact that this was the first Scratch Final for both of them.

The momentum remained mostly with Dan in the afternoon, with the standard of play ranging from brilliant to scruffy in parts. It was not a classic final, but certainly a close one. Although Dan's lead was pulled back at times, he held on to take the match to the 16th with a two-hole lead.

Both players hit long drives down 16; with Andy to play, he struck a seven-iron to the topside left of the green. Then from 130 yards out, Dan thought he had hit a great nine-iron, but the gusting wind took it away to the right. Both balls were in poor lies, but Dan had the more difficult shot out of the rough, just to the right of the path leading to the 17th.

He could only just get it out into the hollow below the green - so advantage to Andy. Andy, in trying to be too deft, left his delicate chip from the fluffy edge, still short of the green - his fourth shot proved better. In the meantime, Dan played a delicate little pitch to within a foot of the pin, which was conceded for a par five. When Andy missed his putt for the half, it was all over, with Dan winning the match 3 and 2.

LADIES'

SCRATCH CUP

The second Scratch Cup of the day was the ladies' match between the holder Georgia Thomas and Denise Edwards. The match referee for this final was ladies's captain Mel Smith. Both ladies hit steady drives on the first, but Georgia's approach shot headed straight towards Black Rock. It looked like an ominous omen for Georgia, but she had a huge slice of luck, with the ball bouncing off the rock back into the fairway.

Undaunted, Denise, after playing a good second, stunned her opponent when her pitch and run shot from 60 yards holed out for a birdie four! This certainly rattled the defending champion and, with steady play from Denise, she took her lead to four up on the sixth, with Georgia making two consecutive bogeys on holes five and six.

This vein of play continued throughout the morning round and Denise went into lunch still three up.

In the afternoon, Georgia came out battling, but Denise, although much shorter off the tee, remained very steady and generally down the middle.

As the afternoon wore on though, Denise was visibly tiring. Like a young tiger, Georgia sensed her advantage and upped her play. With Denise's lead down to two on the 14th, Georgia sunk a fine winning putt to cross the line only one down.

You could see in young Georgia's face the determination and the sense that she was about to make her kill. Bravely Denise battled on, but wins for Georgia on 15 and 16 put her one up.

Standing on the 17th, both ladies made mistakes from the tee, with Georgia short and Denise finding a horrid place in the left-hand bunker. Her first attempt at playing out with one leg in the bunker and the other out failed, but she made a much better fist of the third shot.

In the meantime, Georgia played a nice second to within nine feet; which she rolled up tight to the hole. The match was over when Denise failed to hole out her fourth, with Georgia winning 2 and 1.

It was a match played in excellent spirit and a worthy final from both Georgia and Denise.

ALLEN CUP

Of the other finals, in the Allen Cup, which had captain-elect John Gillespie officiating, David Webb was playing in his third final of the week. He had lost to Jim Moffatt the previous Sunday in the Presidents Cup, one down, then that afternoon went on to complete his final in the Junior Scratch Cup, beating Sam Jaakola 3 and 2. This match had been abandoned the previous Friday because of monsoon-type conditions causing the greens to flood.

David's opponent in the Allen was Mark Edwards, who had won the Charles Mathias Cup in 2009.

Giving 15 shots to Mark proved to be just too daunting for young David and with Mark playing very steadily, David was six down with six to go. At this stage, the dejected David seemed down and out, but then his mum turned up and this gave David a lift.

He battled back to win 13, 14 and then 15 to pull the lead back to three.

To his credit, though, Mark continued to play his game and, although way back behind David's drive on the 16th and over 100 yards short of the ditch, bravely took it on to put his second halfway up the slope towards the green. With both players playing their third to the green, David looked to have got the edge when he played a fine pitch and run to seven feet of the hole.

Mark pulled his third to the front left edge, leaving a difficult long swinging putt across the green, which to his credit he knocked to within five-foot. Giving another shot on this hole, David could do no more than half it, with Mark winning the match 3 and 2.

DAVIES CUP

In the Davies Cup, refereed by Jim Moffat, Ian 'Yobbler' Thomas proved too much for his opponent Peter Rossi.

Defending champion Peter generously conceded that Ian played too consistently for him to make any inroads into the match, with Ian winning 3 and 2.

SELLAR CUP

The Sellar Cup was between two fine young tyros, Sam Jaakola, off four, against the in-form Richard Morton, off two.

This was an excellent final, with some outstanding shots being played from both players, but with Richard consistently finding the fairways, he held the edge over Sam.

Sam admitted that, although his chipping was very good, he was not able to match Richard's driving.

Richard won this very close final 2 and 1.

David Hughes, the referee, said he thoroughly enjoyed officiating in this fine match.

VETERANS CUP

The Veterans Cup was not played as John Rees had to withdraw due to a painful rheumatic hand and conceded the result to Tony Morris.

CHARLES MATHIAS

CUP

David Blackmore played Darren Thomas in the Charles Mathias Cup and it proved to be a bit one-sided with Darren winning 6 and 5.

David said afterwards, the highlight of the final for him was halving the first with a seven!

LLEWELLYN THOMAS SALVER

Many observers who watched it, said that this was the best final of the day.

The Llewellyn Thomas Salver mixed foursomes was between Sue Griffiths and John Hancock versus Carol and Chris Beecher.

Even the experienced referee, Mervyn Tucker (president-elect), said it was one of the best matches he had ever seen.

It was a really tight match, with all players playing stunning golf. Sue and John, giving six shots, went out in a gross 40, but Carol and Chris responded by coming back in gross 41. However, they lost 18 with a six to take the match to sudden death.

With holes 19 and 20 being halved, the match went to the 21st (third hole). Both Sue and Carol played magnificent drives, but both John and Chris made mistakes with their seconds.

To the rescue came their stunning partners, with Sue playing a great chip and run to within seven feet below the pin. Carol had a terrible lie on the left bank and, with the ball below her feet, it looked a bit ominous. She got it out, but the grass gave her a bit of flier up the green and the ball rolled up the bank at the back.

Chris delicately rolled down his putt, but to his horror the ball stayed five feet above the pin. When John's putt lipped out, Carol had the five-footer downhill for a win; she bravely sunk this and with the shot won the match.

REASON JONES FOURSOMES

In the Reason Jones Foursomes, David Webb got his hands on some silverware on the day, when, with his father Neil as his partner, they beat Robert Wilcox and Gareth Phillips 6 and 4.

Neil said afterwards that their opponents suffered a lot of bad luck and that the match was played in fantastic spirit.

Referee Richard Reed conccurred with that.