The Glebers Golf Society returned to action on Tenby links on Christmas Eve.

It was the first time the society (whose members all have a connection with The Glebe estate) had turned out for two years, their annual festive competition having been abandoned last year because of a snowbound course.

Not that conditions were exactly ideal this Yuletide. A cold, stiff breeze was blowing throughout the day and the morning, in particular, was littered with squally showers, which at times made things somewhat unpleasant.

That was never likely to be a problem for the Glebers, though. As we know from past experience, they are a hardy bunch; well most of them are anyway. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we are sorry to have to inform readers that one particular member of the society - and a founder member at that - cried off on the pretence of suffering from some rare medical condition.

Yes, would you believe it, this member, a renowned marathon runner and long distance cyclist, famed for his fitness, limped away from the first tee claiming to have been struck down by gout, that's right, gout. A lame excuse, if ever there was one.

All right, we know this can be excruciatingly painful, as your correspondent can readily testify, but if you can drag yourself to the first tee to watch your colleagues tee-off and enjoy a reviving pint in the 19th afterwards, then, under strict Glebers rules, you are deemed fit enough to complete 18 holes.

It, therefore, came as no surprise to see the said member being awarded the Duffers Trophy for his failure to record a single point on his scorecard. After all, poor Ginger Beynon had suffered a similar fate some years back when he hobbled in from the course complaining that his bunions were playing him up; a particularly nasty problem from his days in diving boots apparently!

But his feet were obviously in tip-toe - sorry tip-top - condition this time out, as they carried him serenely to his third success in this prestigious competition, his 25 points being one better than runner-up Peter Rossi, who himself was a further point ahead of Graham Waring in third place.

At the other end of the scale, meanwhile, a regular holder of the Duffers Trophy, Harry Bolton, must have breathed a huge sigh of relief when he heard that the gout-stricken Pat Currie had decided to lock away his clubs and put his feet up! Just a shame that the trophy has gone missing and was unable to be awarded to this year's deserving recipient!