The Newport team set off from home on Tuesday half wondering if they would be able to complete their game of golf against Tenby Seniors. Idwal assured them that the rain clouds would thin out with an improving chance of some sunshine. His magic did not quite work out this week as there a few skits of the wet stuff just to put a dampener on the day.

Eight fourball matches were scheduled to take to the course, with the first teeing-off at 10.45 am. Both Roger Scholfield and John Hayhoe, as the last on the list, had to be disappointed since Newport could only field seven pairs on this occasion.

This was a match in which the early teams provided the most emphatic results and they were all in favour of Tenby. Although he couldn’t provide the usual wall to wall sunshine, Idwal showed that the conditions suited him as he and Richard Davies battered John Viner and Gethin Griffiths into submission. The Newport duo were flighting the ball well and in danger of succeeding, so Idwal and Richard hit five birdies between them in order to maintain their supremacy in their six and four win.

Stan Hudson, out for the first time with Ross James, went one better. This pair made the most of the excellent course conditions to stay level for the first three holes and then went on a spree, winning the next six holes. John Collinridge and Nick Cowland were unable to rein them in, so it was a lead which they did not relinquish. They managed to play well as a pair and were able to shake hands on the 13th.

Brian Jones and Mick Whale picked up on the mood and came home with another point for Tenby as they defeated Alan Jeffreys and Alan Griffiths by five and three.

Another resounding result was turned in by Steve Decosimo and Dudley Williams. This match started with a bang. Maurice Weavers was just on the green for three and thought that his long putt for a birdie four was enough to win the hole. Up stepped Steve Decosimo to sink his long putt for an eagle three. Steve and Dudley dovetailed well as they proceeded to establish and maintain a lead until the match was finalised on the 14th.

The three remaining matches out on the course were very close encounters, two of which were halved and the final one won on the last.

John Hancock and Paul Bradley [again!] were engaged in a struggle against Phil Johns and Alan Rogers. The Newport pair almost demoralised them when one of them sunk a long downhill putt on the 16th, but they managed to hold their nerve and take them to the last and earn a half.

The other half was shared between Des Stone and Gareth Davies up against Barry Onions and Tony Morris. With some indifferent shots and putts, Des and Gareth managed to donate a three-hole lead to their opponents. Then Barry and Tony missed a couple of three-foot putts each, which encouraged the home pair. The result was that they were able to level the match on the 14th. This status was maintained right to the last and even on the18th the scores remained the same.

The last match in was the one in which Adrian Palmer and David Rees were up against David Hunt and Alwyn Daniels. In an engrossingly tight situation, neither team was able to establish a meaningful lead. The result was that they lined up on the 18th tee all-square. The Tenby pair were hoping for a touch of good fortune and were rewarded when they putted out to win the hole and the match.

Both captains were in praise of the course conditions and the food, but more importantly the spirit and friendship shared by both clubs.

The raffle was shared - four prizes to Tenby and three to Newport - and Idwal told another joke. Keep it up.