First time win for Aled...

A weekend full of golf yet again for the Junior Section at Tenby, with Golf Foundation on Saturday and a competition on Sunday.

On Saturday, all the skills that have been previously taught were consolidated and Julia was able to put into practice her skills learnt the previous weekend at St. Pierre.

Mary and Ian's group concentrated on shots around the green, chip and run, as well as playing a new game, Tiger Says, which added to the fun of the morning!

Elliot Ronowitz proved to be the star of Mary's group, with Bethan Osborne also doing very well. Hannah and Alex Davies, two fairly newcomers, also showed great potential.

It was Adam North who stood out in Ian's group, proving that practice does pay and he scored well with his chipping.

Gill's group played a team competition, with David Webb, Greg Lees Griffiths and Rhys Lewis managing to score well, but shared the lead with George, Megan Macro and Hywel Lloyd. David and George hit it straight into the umbrella - not an easy task.

Jack Hawkey, Bethany Duckworth and Ollie Worley were the winners in the second competition and yet again more children earned themselves a golf ball as a prize for hitting into the umbrella, including Jack Hawkey and Hugo Wellum.

Ben Roberts, Jack Merrony, Anne-Marie Dassen and Jason Ronowitz came on well in their Golf Foundation and through their individual lesson made some very good progress.

Tomorrow's (Saturday's) golf is from 9-10.30 am, but there is no Golf Foundation as Julia is away.

Sunday was the Argent Cup which sees a junior member partner a senior male member. This is an annual competition keenly supported by the juniors, in fact there were more juniors than men, and the vice-captain of the junior section was suddenly promoted and became a man for the afternoon, as was Brett Davies.

The cup is sponsored by Mr. Mike Argent and the junior section thoroughly enjoy the competition. This year's winners were Aled Griffiths and John Cook, a first for both players, and for Aled it was the first ever competition! Congratulations to both players.

Second place went to Glenn Hoyland and Alan Morton and in third place were Holly Watkins and her partner Barry Frayne.

The winners went home with a plaque to keep for their superb efforts.

This Sunday, the juniors take on the ladies section - no doubt another excellent standard of golf will be witnessed!

Please don't forget to sign up for competitions on the junior notice board.

Tipton Cups

Now that the excitement of another successful Open Week has come and gone, Tenby's golfers can return to their golf course and get on with the many club competitions which take place from early spring to early autumn.

Wednesday, June 13, was the date for the Tipton Cups. This is a one day event, which is played in the evening, and is a straight foursomes for men. The evening start is made possible by a relatively new idea, 'the shot-gun start', whereby all competitors are able to tee-off at the same time by taking their places at the individual tees.

In theory, this means all finish at the same time, all come in to the clubhouse, the stewards are inundated with requests for food and drink, and by the time the prizes are presented, a very convivial and social evening has taken place. Surprise, surprise, it does work, even at Tenby!

On a lovely evening for golf (again), 40 pairs entered and the scoring was extremely good for this most difficult format.

Two of Tenby's best golfers, Paul Haley and Oliver Duckett, had a brilliant 68 gross and must have been a little disappointed only to finish in third place.

Results as follows: 1. Jamie Preston and Darren Griffiths 74-9-65 (cup and voucher); 2. Glen Hoyland and Dan Cope 79-13-66 (£40 voucher); 3. Paul Haley and Oliver Duckett 68-1.5-66.5 (£30 voucher).

June monthly medal

Now that the two divisions for the medals have category 1 and 2 golfers separated from category 3 and 4, the handicapping committee must be pleased to see such an equal balance in the two divisions.

Of the 77 competitors, 38 were in division one, making it as good as it gets.

Division one (0-12): A fine gross 70 by Brian Cramb just pipped Ben Childs (72) for the gross prize. The medal was won by Gareth Rees with a net 66, just beating old campaigner Ray Muskett on the last 9.

Results: Gareth Rees 76-10-66 (medal, £20 credit); Ray Muskett 75-9-66 (£20 credit); Jim Murray 78-10-68 (£10 credit); Alan Morton 77-8-69; Brian Cramb 70-0-70; Ralph Johns 80-10-70; Phil Rees 75-5-70; Gary Willars 77-7-70.

Good season

The club's Rabbits team are having a good season, with wins over Carmarthen, Milford and Newport, and a halved match with Ashburnham, all at Tenby. Their only losses have been at Ashburnham and Haverfordwest.

Ladies'Section

Recent Thursday competitions have not included any medal competitions but have still involved singles strokeplay.

Towards the end of May, a Stableford competition found Pat Fox swinging well and eventually reducing her handicap with an excellent 42 points. She was followed by Anne Morris with 37 and Ann Blackmore on 36.

Either side of Open Week, when many ladies were involved in assisting with the running of this very busy and extensive series of competitions, the second and third Hill-Lowe Bogey competitions of the season were played.

Knowing she would be far too busy to take a playing part in Open Week, Ria Phillips played her socks off and returned an almost unbelievable 8 up on bogey. She was only too delighted with her score and the reduction in her handicap which she has been trying to do for some time. Well done, Ria. Anne Morris's very good +4 almost paled into insignificance behind Ria's fine display.

The third Hill-Lowe Bogey was much more sedate, Mair Evans and Lyn Bonar both returning 2 up and Sam Morgan all-square.

We will draw a heavy veil over the scores the rest of us managed to amass.

This week the Welsh Ladies' Team Championship is being played at Pennard and the competition is always eagerly anticipated by the 60 or so clubs who enter each year, as this meeting affords the renewal of friendships made over the years throughout Wales and there is always the possibility of having a good run in the matches.

Three years ago Tenby drew the eventual winners, Wrexham, on their own course and this year we went one better, or worse, depending on one's point of view and drew Pennard, the winners for the last two years, on their own course.

The team of Holly Watkins, Gillian Roberts, Linda Evans, Anne Morris, Anita Davies and Pat Fox played with great determination and were not disgraced by their individual results, but it was inevitable that a team combining ex Curtis Cup, Welsh international and Glamorgan county players should ease their way into the second round.

Never mind, everyone, there is always Pwllheli next year and maybe we will not draw the 2001 winners then.

B.M.S.