DOWNES Crediton Golf Club saw one of its most important days of the year when the 2010 Captain's "drove" into office.

The captains handed over their seats on a gloomy February morning with a putt out and a drive in.

Outgoing captains were Stuart Trowbridge (club), Angela Battershall (ladies), Isaac Greenwood (junior) and David Moss (senior).

Driving in for their coming year in office were David Slee (club), Joyce Gilg (ladies), Peter Bryan (seniors) and Ollie Greenslade (juniors).

Ollie, a 16-year-old Queen Elizabeth's Community College student, lives in Crediton. His brother Devon was also a junior captain at Downes and their father, Chet, is a former club captain.

Vice club captain is Phil Beasley of Thorverton and senior vice captain is Tom Pettifer.

David Slee, a chartered surveyor with King Sturge, lives in Yeoford. He is married to Claire and they have two children. He has been a member of Downes Crediton for 10 years. His charity for the year is FORCE.

The course was in excellent condition for the three-player team competition, with everyone setting off in a "shotgun" start.

Appropriately, the winning team was the outgoing captain, Stuart Trowbridge, playing with the incoming captain, David Slee, and the golf club administrator, Robin Goodey, who fired a superb seven under par total to win by six shots.

Runners-up were Ollie Greenslade – the new junior captain, along with his brother, Devon, and fellow junior, Sam Gallagher.

Further adrift were the third placed team of Paul and Scott Singleton, along with Steve Gill, and in fourth, Jamie McGuigan, James Bourner and Neil Pellow.

Following the competition, things got serious as the outgoing captains – Stuart Trowbridge, Angela Battershall and David Moss putted out of office.

Facing a 60-foot putt down and across the 18th green, David excelled, leaving his effort just inches from the hole – a putt that Angela and Stuart couldn't quite match.

The action then moved to the first tee, where amid much banter, the new captains drove off.

First to hit was Ollie Greenslade, who although hitting the longest drive, found the water well left of the fairway.

Ladies captain, Joyce Gilg and seniors captain, Peter Bryan both hit beautiful shots straight down the middle, while David Slee, the club captain, caused the spectators to duck as his shot, with the wooden "Captain's Driver" veered right into the trees!

An excellent captain's lunch followed and David's charity for the year, FORCE, benefitted on the day by nearly £300 through the various sweeps and raffles.

Captain's drive-in team event: 1 - D Slee, S Trowbridge, R Goodey 133, 2 - O Greenslade, D Greenslade, S Gallagher 139, 3 - S Singleton, P Singleton, S Gill 144, 4 - J McGuigan, J Bourner, N Pellow 145.