Davies and Tate 2005

The weather has taken a turn for the worse over the last couple of days. I have found this frustrating because with the start of the golf season just around the corner, and recent signs of summery weather, I want to get out and play as much as possible. This applies this week especially as I have a big tournament at the weekend, the Davies and Tate.

This is a Sussex Country Club Scratch knockout with teams of 8 in each side. I have been in my club's team for 7 years now since I was 14 and was captain last year. I absolutely love and thrive on playing in this tournament. I have always enjoyed playing in team sports but this takes the biscuit.

In the morning we play foursomes (alternate shot) in pairs and in the afternoon it is singles. This year for the first round, we have been drawn away against a Hastings club, Sedlescombe. They are a team we beat 10-2 last year at home but as we have found out, home draws are an enormous advantage.

My favourite thing about playing in this is that it seems to bring the best golf out of me and I love nothing more than winning, especially in matchplay when its person on person. Our team is by no means the strongest on paper - I am the lowest handicap on 2, my brother s plays off 3 and the rest are 5's and 6's. Compare that to Lewes for example whose highest handicap I think is 1 and its not hard to work out who the favourites are. But having said that, there is always a high team spirit with us and we all support eachother. As soon as a match is over we will all walk back and support our team mates and this I think has made us a great team with a lot of determination and drive.

This weekend for me starts my golfing season officially and then its full steam ahead for the summer.......