The Divots Winter League returned last Sunday, starting with the draw for partners. This week saw the welcome return of Ron Johns, whose partner for the day was another hot favourite, Gareth Phillips. The four ball was made up with Divots regulars Richard Chapman and Gareth Rees, perhaps not so high in the bookies' rankings for the top prizes, but usually in the mix for at least one prize. The second group to be drawn were semi-pro Scott Davies with John Stevenson, playing along with the strong paring for the day of 'Pint-Size' Hall and 'Elvis' Joseph. Let's hope John and Scott packed their sandwiches; they could be in for a long round! The third group out of the hat included two newcomers, with Viv James being paired with Nigel Ayers. Hopefully Viv would have a calming effect on the jolly green giant's hot temper. The second newcomer was Gareth Morgan, drawn with 'The Walrus' - if Gareth didn't know about big Gav, then he soon would! Also there for the morning's draw was this year's captain, Clive Law. Having had so much success in the Divots League the past two years, Clive has decided not to play until after Christmas, thus giving everyone a head start in the year of his captaincy. He did say that if he still wins the league, having given everyone such a lead, then he would have to consider a stronger challenge next year. Considering the downpour of Saturday, Sunday's weather was perfect for golf. With virtually no wind and soft greens, good scores were expected, especially by the captain, who witnessed everyone's first drive, with 90 per cent of them being long and straight. He had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. A good score of 40 points was recorded by Gareth Phillips and Ron Johns. They played almost faultless golf, with the only slip-up coming on the 15th hole, where a lost ball for Ron and a lengthy visit to the greenside bunker for Gareth resulted in their only blob. Not so solid were Richard Chapman and Gareth Rees. They produced some great ball striking, but like Gareth's beloved Ospreys rugby team, they failed to convert it into points, in Richard and Gareth's case, due to them both being directionally challenged. Hitting the ball 300 yards consistently is the easy part, but keeping the ball within the golf course did not prove so easy on the day. A disappointing start to the league for them both, with only 34 points the grand total. It was not so good for Scott Davies and John Stevenson either, with John apparently having problems reading the greens. Perhaps he should pay a visit to the.... no, done that one before! Scott's game was obviously suffering, with him only being able to play five days a week, while John needs a couple of weeks to warm up. A score of 35 points was just enough to keep them off the bottom, but much improvement is needed. A better score for Pint Size and Elvis, with 38 points being the result of some spectacular putting by Rob. If you know about Rob's putting, then spectacular means anywhere within six feet of the cup. The question does arise that if Rob's putting was so good, then why not a better score? An answer was not forthcoming; we can only assume that they were holding something back in reserve or the rest of their game was crêpe. The last group out, complete with deckchairs, had a mixed bag of results. A total of 35 points was again a disappointing score for Viv James and Nigel Ayers on such a lovely day. With the group ahead only losing three holes on the group ahead of them, it wasn't as frustrating as expected. Apparently Nigel was experiencing strong wind which was causing a right to left flight of the ball and making fairways difficult to find, while the added pressure was just too much for Viv on his Divots début. It was a better first time out for the second newcomer, Gareth Morgan, who, along with The Walrus, posted a satisfactory score of 37 points. The pair dovetailed well and should have matched the best score, had they not blobbed the 10th hole. Gareth came out unscathed from his first experience of the Divots and the pair were delighted with their day's work and look forward to perhaps playing together again. Results were as follows: Ron Johns and Gareth Phillips 40 pts (£12 each); Rob Hall and Adam Joseph 38; Gavin Field-Thomas and Gareth Morgan 37; Scott Davies and John Stevenson, Nigel Ayers and Viv James 35; Richard Chapman and Gareth Rees 34. Gentlemen, same format next week. Get to the club by 8.10 am to be included in the draw for pairs, four ball better ball (max 18 shots), and £2 entry for prizes on the day. No entry into the Divots Society is required.

Chickens get a 'birdie'

There was a good turnout on Friday as some 25 Chickens found a decent day in late autumn. The only problem was the 'birdies' on the ninth and 10th greens. Not the 'birdies' the Chickens normally get, but the crows and ravens (black ones) absconding with the players' well-placed balls. Crying shame, as most Chickens appeared to have stayed in the rough. Enough about crows. Ron Murphy was unaffected, to walk away with first prize with 33 points, only to be severely handicapped by 'Mon Capitan', Morran Boot. Rabbits are not supposed to score like that. Paul James was close behind with 32 points, and rather adrift in third place was Bob Howse with 29, but he had the last laugh by adding to his valuable cash prize with a two on the sixth hole. Derek Bath also had a two on the 12th. Alas, last week's winner, Vince Shaw, who was also severely handicapped by Morran, managed the booby. Some people will do anything for money. Next week your normal scribe will be back, and so say all of us.

J.M.J.

Mass gathering

The Seniors were out in force this week and the introduction of buggies has a large part to play in the size of the group. A hint of rain did not deter anyone and names were added to an already near full list. At least three of the buggies are regularly used by seniors who would otherwise struggle to complete the course. Of course, many of us struggle to complete the course anyway! Thirty-eight players faced the north-easterly wind and contrived to overcome it - with only a modicum of success. There were no 43s in this week, in fact it was a struggle to reach 33. Out of the 38 entries, only eight could boast 30 or more. Twenty-three members could not score better than 25 and yet the booby went to a score of 21, higher than last week. It was a welcome return to Bob Storey, who hasn't played with the group for a number of months. It was a welcome also to Geoff Bates, a Porthcawl Sparrow, who accompanied his brother-in-law, Dave Morgan, at the rear of the field. Someone has to keep him in order! It was a long wait in the clubhouse to find out who this week's winners were, but one well worth waiting for. Brian Morgan still can't make up his mind whether to use left-handed or right-handed clubs. It doesn't matter when he wins two prizes. He claimed the booby this week and also had a two, so he will be taking the family out for a meal at the weekend. Joining him in the two's stake was David Miller, who also picked up second prize with 32 points. Either side of David was Bob Howse, yet again in the money, with 31 points to claim third and this week's winner Paul Nixon with 33. On a final note, Jim Martin hit a wayward shot off the 12th tee, landing in the bank behind the large red and white marker post. Yes - you've guessed it, his second shot rebounded off the marker post with a resounding clang to end up further away. Well done Jim - bet you couldn't do it again! Next week, the seniors all meet up to play in a Chapman Foursomes competition, the list for which will be on the notice board.