HERTS county team, back from warm weather training in Spain, turned on the heat after a slow start in the annual fixture to beat Scratch League champions Moor Park over their own course by 8. to 6..

Golf by Alan Booth

HERTS county team, back from warm weather training in Spain, turned on the heat after a slow start in the annual fixture to beat Scratch League champions Moor Park over their own course by 81/2 to 61/2.

In a 10-a-side contest, Moor Park won the foursomes 3-2, with victories for Robert Alter/John Glenn by 5&3 over Ty Carter/Glen Portelli; John Ambridge/Garry Higgins over the two James - Watts/Jankowski - two holes, and Simon Waller/Danny West against Gordon Forster/Tony Wilkins 4&3.

For county, Greg Schmidt/Ryan Newman beat Nick Algate/Mitchell Steel 2&1, and Ben Harman/Joe Smith beat Doug Cameron/Neil Connell, one hole.

With half a dozen regular players from last season unavailable, the new look county side took command in the singles, picking up five of the first seven matches, with young Ryan Newman gaining a notable success, accounting for county stalwart and Moor Park scratch league captain John Ambridge 4&3.

Mitchell Steel opened the singles for Moor Park with a two-holes win over Glen Portelli but, after Newman's success for county, Greg Schmidt followed, beating Nick Algate, one hole, and James Watts beat Robert Alter 3&2.

Danny West hit back for Moor Park, with a 5&4 win over Tye Carter, only for county to respond as James Jankowski beat Neil Connell 3&2 and Ben Harman pipped Doug Cameron by one hole.

Simon Waller and Joe Smith halved, before the last two matches were shared, John Glenn beating Gordon Forster one hole for a third Moor Park point, and Tony Wilkins beating Garry Higgins 4&2, giving county the singles by 61/2 to 31/2.

"Overall, it was a very good start to the season and proves there are plenty of talented young golfers in the county," said team manager Peter Medcalf.

Herts Under-16 Boys claimed a resounding win by 91/2 to 21/2 over Cambridgeshire Boys at Letchworth, continuing a friendly match introduced last year, but it was only over the final nine holes in the singles that they pulled away with a 7-1 margin, four of the team playing over their own course.

Over a waterlogged course yet with surprisingly quick greens, Herts won the foursomes 2-1, with one halved, Luke Colgate/Callum Shinkwin winning 5&4, and Daniel Ellis Banbury/Marcus Fox 7&6. The half came from Sam Cutting and Mark Hammond, who gifted the last two holes, but then responded with fine singles displays, impressing with their short game as they each won 5&3.

They were only two out of three Herts boys ahead after eight holes but in the end it was a run of clear-cut wins, with none of the matches reaching the 18th hole and only one Cambridge success by 4&2 over Jack McGregor.

Other singles wins came from Luke Colgate, 2&1, Callum Shinkwin, 3&2, Laurie Owen, 5&3, Marcus Fox, 4&2, and Daniel Ellis Banbury, 5&4.

Daniel Field's East Herts team claimed a second successive victory in a Herts Alliance match over their own course for the Stan Tomlin trophy to follow victory at Brocket Hall for the Fabian Trophy

Field's team of Robbie Kerr and John Mac totalled 86 points, two ahead of Mill Green's team of John Pasby, Chris Dixon and Steve Colquhoun, with Chesfield Downs team of Martin Bird, Ken Camp and John Bradbury third, 83.

Field tied with Peter Cherry on six under par 65 to share the pro event, with Rob Leonard third on 67.