THIS season's RNLI Competition at Rookery Park GC is itself in need of rescue. Snow prevented the first two attempts to hold it and on the third occasion torrential rain swept across the course and the lifeboat itself could have been floated.

THIS season's RNLI Competition at Rookery Park is itself in need of rescue.

Snow prevented the first two attempts to hold it and on the third occasion torrential rain swept across the course and the lifeboat itself could have been floated. A fourth attempt will be held shortly.

The Winter Quads Guildford Greensomes did, however, beat the weather and Paul Lowman and Colin Platten teamed up to repeat their previous successes, which included the Best Friends Cup and a number of Turkeys.

After scrambling for a point on the fifth, their starting hole, their game went from strength to strength. With Platten putting well and Lowman hitting a string of quality approach shots the pair recorded no blobs and scored birdies on the first, 11th, 12th and 16th holes.

Their 43 pts saw them gain a countback win over Joe O'Dwyer with Paul Perry, Paul Hunt with Simon West, Steve Whiteside with Brian Jillings and Ralph Flatt with Bo Bidell.

Platten took up golf as a 14-year-old at Royal Brancaster but took a 20-year break before taking a job in Beccles and joining Rookery Park. He was given a handicap of 20 but reduced it in disappointing circumstances when a brilliant 63 net in the Warner Cup saw him beaten on a countback.

His most unusual hole has to be the eighth where he hit a tree and lost his first ball before putting his second into the water. Taking a penalty drop he holed out in two more shots to gain a remarkable point. Platten's aim is to emulate his brother, Phil, of Woodbridge GC and reduce his handicap to four.

Lowman turned to golf when, aged 40, he found football and rugby too strenuous. His handicap is now 16.

Barry Holmes, now in Portugal, has won the recent Seniors' Stableford with a round of 43pts, two ahead of Ray Flook. His round contained a birdie at the sixth hole but no blobs.

He did, however, suffer one disappointment. A colleague was spraying his drives all over the course. Working for a travel firm he promised a free holiday in the Caribbean for anyone who could sort out his problem. H

olmes advised that he should narrow his stance and keep is head still. The driving improved immediately but, unfortunately, the colleague had a lapse of memory at the end of the game. The Caribbean holiday turned out to be a mystery tour in a Belles coach.

The current form of Norwich City, plus a few tips from caddy, Colin Turk, has inspired single handicapper, Colin Tweddell, to lift his golf game. He has just won a Monthly Stableford with 40pts, beating Fred Bush and Mike Chaplin by a point.

David Batley