The annual N. D. Toy & Partners charity golf day was held on the Tenby links last Friday afternoon, with 48 players taking part in an 18-hole individual stableford competition. As always with outdoor events, the weather can play a huge part and on Friday we were again blessed with absolutely beautiful conditions for golf, glorious sunshine and a slight breeze. The course was in superb condition, which is a credit to head greenkeeper Chris Jenkins, his staff and the greens committee. This meant that for those who could keep the ball on the fairway there was every chance of recording a good score, but if you strayed into the rough you were just grateful to find the ball and accept the punishment of hacking back to the fairway. Before presenting the prizes, Chris Brace made a surprisingly short speech. It was timed at just under 40 minutes, which really isn't like him. However, he did make up for it later by talking incessantly until the bar closed. There were four main prizes for the golf tournament and again we had a first time winner, but only just. The winners were: 1. Dai Cope, of Hill Park Caravan Site, with 36 points, courtesy of a better back nine. Dai won a round of golf for four at St. Pierre and a lovely set of Royal Doulton cut glass. 2. Last year's winner, David Hancock, the Tenby club secretary, with 36 points. Dave also won a round for four at St. Pierre with a sleeve of balls. 3. Rob Brown with 35 points, who won a sports shirt. 4. Jonny Webb, of Layton & Webb Solicitors, with 34 points, who won a sports bag. Andy Williams chipped in on the prizes with the longest drive on the 14th. Andy was hoping to win a cup so that he could 'fillet', but instead he won a bottle of champagne. The nearest to the pin went to Fred Broomhead with a Really Nice Looking Iron, which left him with just a tap-in for a two on the eighth hole. It's rumoured that Fred was so excited, he nearly launched the lifeboat. He promised that he will be keeping his bottle of champagne to toast the new lifeboat when it is launched from Tenby's 21st century lifeboat station. Dai Cope, as the winner of the day, did make a very short speech of no more than 50 words, but he did have time to thank Simon, Chris and Gary, of N. D. Toy & Partners, for again putting on a most enjoyable event, one that is eagerly awaited in the local golfing calendar. The final formality of the evening was to draw the charity raffle. The prizes were a portable DVD player won by Peter Rossi; a portable combination TV and DVD won by Simon Rossiter; and a bottle of champagne won by Colwyn Harts. The charity raffle raised the marvellous sum of £550 for the Welsh Air Ambulance Trust and, with Pat Currie raising a further £42 for his fancy dress display in the evening, a total of £600 has been presented to Peter Kraus, the local co-ordinator for the Welsh Air Ambulance. In the five years of staging this event, nearly £2,000 has been raised and donated to local charities, which is a great credit to everyone who has taken part and contributed to local organisations who carry out such wonderful work on behalf of Pembrokeshire people. Thanks go to the captain and committee of Tenby Golf Club for allowing the event on one of the premier courses in Britain, Lynne Jenkins and her catering staff for serving up a super meal in the club restaurant and, of course, Joe and the bar staff for ensuring that the liquid refreshments continued to flow throughout the evening. Thanks also go to Eamon Maher, who again marked the cards - keep an eye on the board for any handicap revisions. Finally, as a footnote, all six of the Rossiter brothers would like to thank their father, Mike, for letting them all go out to play while he held the fort in the family funeral directing business.
