Secsy Rabbit winners

Resolute Rabbits gathered in the clubhouse hopeful of a place in history as winners of the annual Dilwater Shield, reports Warren Hacker, our links reporter.

Anticipation reached fever pitch as captain Martin Durham read out the low/high pairings in the 4BB format. Being an odd number of 15, Martin dropped out of the comp and marked the card of John Stevenson and Robin Bradbury in the first group. Behind them were the pairings of health professionals Wyndham Collins and Paul Crawford, with school chums David Blackmore and Mackie Harts.

In the third group were pre-tee-off favourites Steve Cole and Grant Watkins (second and first in the Winter League) alongside ex-Three Counties Rabbits secretary William Beynon and Rabbits secretary Peter Turton. The last group off (but not last in!) featured Rabbits treasurer Mark Edwards and Chris Smith in the company of festively-festooned Steve Watkins and John Ball.

Starting off on a slightly-frosted landscape, the intrepid golfers found initial scoring rather trying (they had 10 points between the seven groups on the first!), but they carried on eagerly, hoping their scores would improve. Worryingly they managed eight ‘nul points’ between them on the front nine, but they battled on nevertheless.

In four weeks time the annual battle against ‘the others who play on Sunday mornings’ will take place and captain Martin can be pleased with the fine display of points he witnessed when he scrutinised (with borrowed specs) the scores at the end (after he’d popped home to collect the trophies he’d forgotten!). Lots of pars were scored (some for three points, some even for four!) in readiness for the challenge next month when the 9/10ths rule will come in very handy! Looking at the scorecards, each back nine bettered their front nine scores by between two and nine shots, which shows just how tough the first nine is, even when the wind isn’t blowing too much!

Right, I hear you ask, who found their way onto the podium? Unluckily missing out on bronze place were ‘the favourites’, who pipped ‘the school chums’ by one on the back nine. Landing third place were consistent scorers (no blobs!) Steve W and John B with 41 points and they had £4 each for their festive coffers. Earning £5 each were runners-up John S and Robin after their 43 points, but the names engraved onto the shield for posterity are those of William Beynon and Peter Turton as a result of their grand 46 points - again blob-free (obviously a good tactic)- and they shared a ‘score’ between them.

Only one two was slotted and that was by Mark E - apparently a tricky little three-and-a-half-footer - and he pocketed all the twos pot for the day.

Keen-eyed readers will have already seen the message about the winners next month - have you all?

Ladies’ presentation evening

The ladies of Tenby Golf Club held their annual presentation evening on Friday, December 2.

Forty ladies attended and welcome drinks were followed by an excellent three-course dinner prepared by Lee and served by Emma and her team.

The presentation of trophies followed and the photographs show Sophie Lovatt (right), the Scratch Cup champion, with ladies’ captain for 2015-2016 Irene Gilman and Anne Wilks, the hon secretary, and the prize winners (above) with an impressive array of trophies.

L.T.

RUFFLED FEATHERS

Friday, December 9, was a pretty miserable day for the Chicken Trotters. The weather was wet, windy and quite chilly, which contributed to the lack of keen competitors - other contributing factors were the total lack of availability of buggies for the less mobile Trotters and a considerable contraction of members’ tee time available to members. The result? - Just six Chickens trotted, and only two finished the 15 holes.

There were no twos scored, there was no booby prize - but on the bright side - the winner; Peter Ellis, scored a soggy 25 points, received a huge £1 and got his name in the paper! Richard Davies, his playing partner, notched up 24 points and earned 50p. You really deserved more chaps, if only for tenacity! Let us hope for better weather today (Friday, December 16).

And finally, do not forget the Roger and Mary Trophy competition and luncheon on January 6, 2017 - the booking sheet is on the Trotters’ notice board and we should avoid an unseemly last minute rush!

M.F.

Gents 14-hole Xmas Spirits Stableford

With rain falling for much of the day, numbers were down for the Gents 14-Hole Christmas Spirits Stableford on Saturday.

A total of 40 players entered, 22 in division one and 18 in division two, with leading scores and prize winners being as follows:

Division One: 1. Neil R. Thomas 26 pts, on countback (brandy); 2. David Cope 26 (whisky); 3. Steve Sutcliffe 24, on countback (spirits); 4. Robert Willcox 24 (wine).

Division Two: 1. Philip Goodridge 27 pts (brandy); 2. David JP Morgan 26 (whisky); 3. Austin Davies 25, on countback (spirits); 4. John Stevenson 25, on countback (wine).

Twos: Steve Sutcliffe, John Gillespie, Rabin Hagley, Simon Evans, David Skyrme (£8 each).

Bag draw: Jeremy Peters, Neil R. Thomas, Graham Waring (£13 each).

Pro Shop draw: Mike Anthony (dozen Pro V1 balls).

Police pounce on prizes

Tuesday, December 13, and what an absolute shocker! It was p - p - persistently pouring down, quite cold and very windy, thus from 36 Seniors who booked in for a game -only 23 actually submitted cards, and many of them didn’t finish the 18 holes. Very sensibly really!

As the sodden players trickled in, it looked like a scene from Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow - except his lot didn’t have a hot shower and a drink to cheer them up. When the last of those who were staying for the results were finally gathered in the clubhouse, secretary Allen Watts retrieved the results from Master Scoreboard and captain Dudley prepared to announce the names of the winners - first though the draw for the Charity Raffle prize, and Jim Martin’s number jumped out of the bag - there was a small discussion concerning the possibility of drawing again since Jim had left - but treasurer Stan Hudson would have none of it!

You will observe, dear reader, that the top three prize winners have something in common - read on! In third place with a creditable 32 points was Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Dave Henry. Second place went to PCSO Idwal David who amassed 35 points, and the winner with a fine 36 points was (excuse the repetition) PCSO Jim Moffatt - so the rest of us had our collars felt!

Three Seniors managed to score a two, all on the sixth hole; PCSOs Idwal David and Jim Moffatt (I’m fed up of constabulary related initials now!) and - at last - the civilian Newman Vincent.

The CSS was a surprisingly high 35 Stableford points, and if anybody improved their eclectic score I will be most surprised!

Next Tuesday, December 20, the format will be a 15-hole aggregate competition followed by a sumptuous three-course lunch (ham, egg and chips). I would remind any gentlemen who have not yet appended their names to the booking sheet for the Chicken Trotters’ Roger and Mary Trophy competition and luncheon on January 6 - to do so before the list is filled!

M.F.

Twenty years of Trotting

Because it was a showery morning on Friday, November 8,1996, only 61 Chickens turned out for the weekly trot - 61! - I think that constitutes a flock! The event should have been sponsored by KFC, but nobody thought to ask!

The top end of the scoring spectrum looked like this:

Ted Ridley and Ken Goldsbrough shared eighth place with 32 points and received £1 each. Jock Best, Gee Ellis, John Bonar and John Lehane all scored 33 points to share fourth place, picking up £1.60 each. First place was split three ways, David Leeke, Des Lawrence and Elwyn Evans all scoring a fine 35 points and each winning £2.

Four Trotters slotted their second shots, John Bonar on the sixth, Jock Best on the ninth, Peter Williams and Doug Perry on the 12th - the reward for this accuracy was 70p each.

Low man on the Trotters totem pole was off form Alan Paice, whose 11 points earned him the booby prize of 30p and an additional two strokes to offset the loss of five strokes the previous week - Oh the seesaw of golf!

M.F.