VJ Cup Philippa Deman rolled back the years and defied the high winds to claim Colchester Golf Club’s VJ Cup in some style. Deman, a low-handicap member of the club for many years, showed her prowess by seeing off a 109-strong field to claim the coveted trophy by one shot. Playing off 11 handicap, Philippa tamed the Braiswick course with 11 pars and five bogeys – no considerable feat in the tricky conditions. That gave her 40 points – one clear off the chasing pack and saw her handicap deservedly cut to single figures again. The chasers were led by Bill Eke, 4, and Tom Rothery, 9, who were both highly impressive in returning 39 points. Eke fired the lowest gross round of the day, 71, lit up by birdie-twos at the 8th and 16th. Bogeys at the 1st, 7th and 17th cost him outright victory but it was still an epic performance. Rothery too birdied both the short 8th and 16th holes and added another one at the 5th. But double-bogies at both the 7th and 15th proved very expensive in another high-class round. Five players shot 38 points – Stephen Bozier, 10, James Pilgrim, 18, Sam Tarr, 17, and the points machine Theo Baker, 6. They were followed by Richard Withnall, 3, Mike Duley, 14, Ian Parry, 10, Richard Hayes, 7, Mike Sutton, 7, and Joe Gilzean, 18, who all returned 37 points.
Millennium Week The immensely popular Millennium Week reached its conclusion after six days of great scoring and lots of action at the 19th. The D. Salmon Cars Ladies Am-Am was won by Romany Foster, Jaz Schweir, Carla Holroyd and Liz Reid who crushed the opposition with 98 points. That put them seven clear of Fiona Prentice, Alison Cordran, Marilyn Free and Lisa Free who pipped Sue and Steve Moore, Caroline Slagle and Catherine Chick on countback. The Wednesday Patsome Stableford saw victory for Roger Moore and Graham Griffiths with 43 points, one clear of Stuart Fisher and Martin Halls and two ahead of Richard Todd and Peter Hodgetts. Joe Willams and Gavin Dixon shot 45 points to take the honours on Serif Designs’ Mens Guest Day, squeezing out Joe’s brother, Ben, and Patrick Foley by a single point with Simon Rowe and Sam Buxton, pipped on countback, also on 44. The all-women team of Annie Johnston, Joe Romsey, Jane Baker and Sue Procter used their 12 courtesy shots to the full to claim the Ellisons Progressive Stableford with 90 points. It had to be good to beat the in-form Baker boys, Theo and Ollie, who were backed up by Ian Parry and Russell Storey for 89 points – just pipping Steve Sheffield, Graham Baxter, Steve Dack and Malcolm Easton. The week ended with two Texas Scrambles sponsored by Potters Plumbing and a morning success for the early risers of Guy Lennox, Duncan Smith and Carol and Alan Irvine who somehow mustered 59.4 points in the gale-force winds. Second on 60.0 came Chris, Michael and Sarah Blakebrough and Phil Hayward with Dean, Robert and Jake Hughes and Scott Strivens third on 60.3 The afternoon belonged to the Barber family – Rosina, Charlie, Ben and Lewis – with an astonishing, 56.4 points which pushed them well clear of Julian and Amanda Munson and Stephen and Romy Bozier in second. | 
