Toft Golf Club are crowned Lincolnshire Ladies Handicap League champions

A village golf club has defied the odds to be crowned Lincolnshire Ladies Handicap League champions.

The ladies team from Toft, near Bourne, triumphed in the north against south winners play-off final against holders Cleethorpes.

They were 2.5-1.5 victors in the match - staged at Sleaford Golf Club - that was billed as a David against Goliath showdown.

Cleethorpes' ladies section is more than twice the size of Toft's and they had easily won the Lincolnshire League North Division.

Toft had scrapped their way to the final and only had 10 ladies to select from who are under the handicap limit for team selection.

In a tightly fought contest, Louise Bradley and Shirley Kehoe halved the first match on the 18th hole with an excellent pressure putt from Kehoe.

Team captain Cathy Lee and Lorraine Robinson won 2&1 after a match that ebbed and flowed.

The turning point came when Robinson parred the 13th hole before Lee put a shot within six foot of the 15th hole on the long par three.

Alison Ravenhill-Nichol and Mandy Lees managed to hold their nerve when Cleethorpes pulled back three holes to win their match 3&1 on the 17th hole.

Although the last pairing of Mairead Scott and Sally Burton fought valiantly only to lose on the 18th hole, it didn't affect the final outcome for the triumphant Toft team.

The summer knock-out competitions have now concluded at the club with the Ladies Pairs being won by Lorraine Robinson and Linda Moss who beat Alison Ravenhill-Nichol and Shirley Kehoe in the final.

In the Ladies Singles, Mary Payne beat Mairead Scott in a tightly fought match.

The Challenge Cup winner was Linda Moss with her six best scores totalling 202 points.

The fun competition was won by Margaret Dair, Margaret Wilson and Anne Beach on countback with 37 points while Alison Ravenhill-Nichol led the victorious team in the captain versus vice-captain's match.

Jackii Crockett won the 18-hole stableford with 36 points after beating Cathy Lee by one while Karen Parsonage won the nine hole competition with 17 points after also finishing one clear of runner-up Margaret Wilson.

Louise Bradley won the Ladies Medal Winner's Trophy with a nett 71 with Alison Ravenhill-Nichol coming in second with a nett 74.