More than 40 Warren Golf Club members, friends and work colleagues of the late Keith Ford, who died last year, recently participated in a Challenge match.

Jan Ford, Keith's widow, presented a new trophy to President John Durham, to be called The Warren Golf Club Remembrance Trophy, which will be competed for annually by club members.

Gareth Williams paid a sad, funny but moving tribute to his good friend.

The Ladies have opened their ELGA Bronze matches with a convincing 5-2 win at Benton Hall, while Pennie Lipscomb and Fiona Smith have won their first round Munro Foursomes match - beating Romford 7 & 5 at Burnham.

The Masters singles medal competition was won Roy Pledger with 87-17-70 just ahead of Captain Vic Mullins, John Morley and Chris Watkins, all with net 71.

The Monthly Stableford qualifier saw Tony Aylett beat John Maulkerson on countback with 33 points.

In Division Two, Des Orrin continued his winning streak also with 33 points.

Playing at home on Sunday, The Warren entertained Rochford Hundred in the first round of the Thornton Cup county competition.

Following the previous days appalling weather, which resulted in the postponement of the inter club Quadrangle match, the course had markedly improved and was in excellent condition.

In the morning foursomes, Grant Laurence, partnered by Paul Wrench, surged away with a 7 and 6 win helping to give The Warren a 3-1 advantage.

However, the results of the singles,with Jon Phillips 1up, Noel Greig and Andy Pratt both 4 & 3, Andrew Morrison 5 & 4, led Team Captain Sid Sutton to reflect that: "The youngsters have done us proud" in producing a convincing 10-4 overall win.

Both teams played in a sporting manner and The Warren now look forward to the next challenge at home to Boyce Hill on May 7.

Chelmsford Golf Club's Thornton Cup team were entertained by The Bursteads Golf Club in the first round of the Essex Amateur Golf Union's premier inter-club competition.

The weather leading up to the event was characterised by heavy rain which left large amounts of water laying on the course.

After an early morning inspection, it was decided to play the game out taking relief from casual water as an event in the day.

The five morning matches of foursomes finished with Chelmsford holding a 4-1 lead.

In the afternoon the first four matches went to Chelmsford taking the overall score to 8-1 which meant that the last man out would not be required to go out again in accordance with the new format.

With the score standing at Chelmsford 10, The Bursteads 2, the remaining three matches out on the course agreed halves making the final score Chelmsford 11.5, The Bursteads 3.5.

Chelmsford were captained by Martin Mitchell with Julian Clark standing in until the captain arrived from Heathrow.

The Chelmsford team was Grant Popham, Mark Lindsey, Gary Fisher, Andy Petts, David Knights, Paul Connell, Ian Morrison, Gordon Marsden, Henry Hitchens and Keith Davies.

The Ladies Bronze team, under the captaincy of Maureen Quinn, entertained Colne Valley in the second of their six match league table fixtures.

Chelmsford added to their first round win by taking the match 5-2, the Chelmsford team being Maureen Quinn, Anne Robinson, Diana Kendrick, Nita Lloyd, Iris Fountain, Myra Metcalf and Lynn Beer.

The Ladies played their Spalding Cup competition despite the bad weather on Ladies Day.

This trophy was presented in 1952 by Miss Spalding as an 18 hole competition for handicap 28-36. The winner, with 40 points, was Jane Everitt followed by Valerie Tolani (33 points).

The 'Swindlers' played their Spring, two clubs and a putter competition, and the winning pair with 28 points were Club Captain Dick Bush and Colin Guy followed on 27 points by Ronnie Smyth and Tony Fairhead, Martin Jackson and Ken Arnold, Eric Turner and Tony Lee.

The Assistant Professionals have played their Championship 36 hole competition and the Essex Champion is Simon Klan (139) followed by Darren Parker (141), Andie Duffin and Rodger Gray (144), Warren Sargeant and Bill Chapman (145).

The Channels Ladies Bronze Team enjoyed their first success of the new season when they beat visitors Frinton Golf Club, 4 to 3.

The Channels ladies, Joan Charlton, Beryl Hayes and Caroline Bird gave their opponents good games but were losers on the day.

The winning members of the team were Marion Ballard, Mailys Gibney, Fran Thomas and Doreen Harrowell who won on the 18th having been 4 down at one stage.

The other match was the Thornton Cup match at Channels against Epping Golf & Country Club.

The morning foursomes started with some clear results when Channel's Simon Everitt and Shaun Young lost 5 & 4.

Channels drew level with Simon Larner and Paul Bramley winning 5 & 4. The game swung back as Ross Wilson and Anthony Everitt lost 5 & 4 and then level again with Dave Curtis and Ross Macdonald winning 2 & 1.

The morning matches finished 3-2 to Channels when Dick Seabright and Gavin Wood won 3 & 2.

The afternoon singles had to produce five wins for Channels to win the match. Anthony Everitt brought in the first win when his opponent Steve Palmer had to concede the match from a 4 up position when he suffered a neck injury.

Wins from Simon Everitt, Ross Wilson and Ross Macdonald gave the Channels team two players still on the course to produce the winning singles result.

Simon Larner did this on the 16th green. Gavin Wood and his Epping opponent decided, with their Captains' blessings, on a halved match after an up and down and then level 15 holes which gave Channels and their team Manager Jim Vine a first round victory at 8 1/2 to 6 1/2.

The Junior section played their April Monthly Medal which was won by Alex Oakley with a gross 87, handicap 12, net 75.

Worthy of note was that two new Junior Members, Tom Leader, 10, and Jan Van de Kwaist, 11, played and completed their first medal rounds around the Channels course with its water hazards that other new players of all ages have found daunting.

These youngsters who only joined at the beginning of April have been coached by David March at Regiment Way Golf Centre under the Golf Foundation Merit Award Scheme.

Their fathers Julian and Jan Snr. are both accomplished golfers, watch to see when the boys catch them up.

Thursday saw Burnham Golf Club's Lady Captain's team led by Sue Frost, challenge the Secretary's team, led by Maureen Turner to a matchplay competition.

It was a closely fought contest, the result resting on the final pair, and the Captain's team were victorious, 12-11.

On Monday Burnham played their Mounro Foursomes match against Crondon Park at Benton Hall. However, they were beaten 2 and 1 in this knock-out competition.

Bad weather prevented the Main Day LGU April Medal being played this Thursday and the Alternative Day competition has taken place on the previous Sunday and the results were: Silver (1st) Jean Bailey (net 80); Bronze (1st) Jane Goodman (net 86), (2nd) Liz Tolhurst (net 87).

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