Lies were tight on very stressed fairways, which necessitate preferred lies for the members, but not permitted to the boys.

At the start of the season we realised that a very special performance would be required for us to succeed in this event as our resources did not match those of recent years.

The withdrawal of Adam Lumley, who was in Scotland and, at a late stage, our Captain and No. 1 player, Nathan Ray, because of a shoulder injury, meant that, 'very special', had now become miraculous!

Unfortunately the Almighty must have been looking the other way, as the pressure of the occasion caused a number of double, a few triple and even one quadruple bogey to intervene in some otherwise very sound golf. The result was ninth place out of ten!

Our trials, however were soon put into perspective as, just before declaring Staffordshire, who have, very surprisingly, never won this event, the winner, it was discovered that a 74 signed for by one of their boys, though correct in total, actually contained an error which resulted in disqualification and caused Lincolnshire to be declared winners at a very subdued presentation.

The fact that Staffordshire were still second, ten shots clear of Northants in third place, only served to heighten their distress.

To see their man, Robert Burlison, presented with the best individual score prize for his pair of 67s, each a course record and seven better than anyone else, whilst struggling to hold back the tears, was one of the saddest sights this writer has seen in golf. Who would have thought that Warwickshire to a man, players and supporters alike, would feel genuine sorrow and disappointment for Staffordshire?

Somehow, we didn't care at all about our own failings.

To conform with the modern trend, we must draw on the positives. There are some!

The fact that our two youngest players, Daanyal Spalding, aged 15 and Max Martin, 13, achieved Warwickshire's equal best score, 151, augurs very well for the future. Indeed both and especially Max were unlucky not to have been better. It is safe to say that this performance was not the end for Warwickshire, but the start of the new, bright, future.