The club captain, John Gillespie, was joined by 37 members on Friday night for the men's dinner and presentation of the prestigious Vardon Trophy.

Currently, the club trophies are presented along with the monthly and mid-week medals on Finals Day in September. However, the winner of the Vardon Trophy (awarded for the best six net scores over the year) is not known until after the December Medal has been completed, and is therefore awarded a year in arrears.

The club captain decided to resurrect the men's dinner this year in a slightly new guise, and those that attended enjoyed a thoroughly entertaining and convivial evening.

The captain had kept his guest speaker's identity a secret in order to build up speculation and suspense (either that or he wasn't sure whether he would turn up on the night or not!). He was eventually revealed on the night as Robert Ryder, previously professional at Ashburnham Golf Club, now trying his hand at qualifying for the Seniors Tour, as well as the after-dinner speaking circuit.

After Mr. Captain had welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending, Robert gave a very humorous and entertaining speech, full of golfing anecdotes and stories, including his days on the European Tour and life as a young professional when Golf Club life was very different from today.

After the speeches, club secretary David Hancock announced the club's hard-working match and handicap chairman Jim Martin, who had emulated John Gillespie in top secret activities.

His 'secret squirrel' assignment was to keep the leaderboard of the Vardon Trophy firmly under his hat until the winner was announced. With the tension now tangible and at near fever pitch, he announced the popular Neil Roach as this year's winner.

Neil had knocked 12 shots of his six-round total thanks to two excellent rounds in October and November.

It was pointed out that it was nice to see an American win something on Welsh soil this year! A fact that Neil took very well and gave a very generous speech in return.

Thanks also go to Steve and Hilary Turner and their team for an excellent meal that rounded off a great evening.

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On Thursday, December 2, the Ladies' Section held their annual dinner and trophy presentation evening. More than 50 ladies attended, with ages covering some seven decades!

The president was unable to attend, but the captain, Anita Davies, and the secretary, Liz Storey, were more than capable of running the event, which they did with their usual skill and good humour and everyone had a very good evening.

Anita is honoured to be captains for 2010/11 and is looking forward to her year and with her experience and enthusiasm she and we will have a good time.

Mary Rowell, at the moment recovering from a hip replacement, sent everyone her best wishes and Anita congratulated all the trophy winners and asked for everyone's support for her chosen charity for the year, the Alzheimers Research Trust.

Support for this very worthwhile cause was shown when Anita accompanied by Liz Storey and Anne Wilks collected £163 in very cold weather on Saturday morning.

Anita lived much of her early life in Wallasey with her six siblings and after training as a nurse in Liverpool, it was in Chester she met her future husband, Jack.

Through Jack's work for Shell they spent much of their married life in the Middle and Far East and, while their two daughters were in boarding school in England, Anita began playing golf in Borneo, where the rough was often inhabited by monkeys and the odd slightly dangerous snake. Over the years she developed her golfing skills in Doha, Thailand, Abu Dhabi and Egypt. She honed these skills in Richmond, Yorkshire, and when she joined Tenby in 2001 her handicap was 16. It is now 14.

During the last decade, Anita has been a valued member of ladies' teams and has been treasurer and vice-captain on the ladies' committee. This year she was elected onto the management committee for the next three years and she is now on the greens and match and handicap sub-committees.

We hope Jack and the rest of her family realise they will rarely see Anita until November 2011 and we know they will be most supportive of her having a happy and successful year.

B.M.S.