Jammy Jim the King of Aces!

Tenby Seniors section stalwart Jim Moffatt showed that in his case the old adage ‘You wait ages for one, then two come along at once!’ certainly applies to golf.

Although his athletic build and muscular frame belie it, Jim is now in his 60s and achieved his first hole in one three weeks ago. Remarkably, he repeated the feat last Sunday morning on the same hole with the same club!

Jim has been a very consistent player for many years, but is enjoying a particularly rich vein of form recently. Having carded an exceptional 47 points (67 gross) off a handicap of six earlier last month (believed to be a TGC Seniors competition record score), he is now down to 4.7, the lowest handicap of his golfing life to date.

Jim said: “I was playing the 17th hole and I struck my seven-iron well, but could not see it as it was quite misty. When my playing partner (Euro pro tour player Matt Moseley) said it’s in the hole, I thought he was joking; even when I got to the green, it looked as though it had come up short.

“I have been plugging away for 25 years trying to bag that elusive eagle on a par three, now I have two in the space of a month.”

Club secretary David Hancock added: “This is a marvellous story. Jim is an inspiration to veteran golfers everywhere and it just goes to show what can be achieved if you play four times a week and don’t wear a pullover to constrict you backswing! Congratulations Jim.”

Single figure Seniors successful

The weather on Tuesday can be described as cold, wet, windy, warm, dry and calm - take your pick, we had the lot! One particular lengthy squall featured horizontal driving rain with force 6 winds - just delightful really!

Whatever the conditions, 39 skilful Seniors squandered shots here and there as they struggled to improve their eclectic scores on the odd hole - some managed to do it, others slid back down the table - the full story of the days golf goes like this:

The CSS for the day was a very demanding 38 Stableford points - demanding because only two players managed to achieve or better that number.

One sure way to pile on the points is to score a two on a par three, and just six Seniors did that; Rod Clarke, Bob Howse, Martin Neilan and Allen Watts on the sixth, Jim Moffatt (who is more accustomed to holes in one) on the tricky 12th, and David Henry on the 17th.

Treasurer Stan Hudson apportioned prizes to the sextet and the spectators applauded - more in envy than support I suspect!

In the Stableford success stakes, the third best performance was given by the currently ‘hot’ player, Jim Moffatt, who scored a very creditable 37 points and just managed to escape without another reduction to his five handicap. Second place, with a startlingly good 39 points while playing off a handicap of seven, was Allen Watts -and finally, forging a fighting figure of 42 was the absolutely unbeatable Jeff Banfield. Jeff played off seven this week - guess what? - next week it will be six, and a repeat of his score will see the number diminish!

Jeff, Stan and captain Dudley feature in this week’s photograph - all three are smiling, but Jeff, clutching his winnings, really means it!

M.F.

Rabbit ketchup - Double Roll-overs, Brother Tom and Golden-kid John

Our links reporter, Warren Hacker, has been in Borehamwood for the last few weeks as fourth reserve for Celebrity Big Brother, so he’s now taking the opportunity to bring everyone up-to-date with the goings-on in the Rabbits Winter League.

After coming second to ‘the others who play on Sunday mornings’ early in the month, they returned to league action on January 15. Ten hardy souls ventured out seeking improvements in their eclectic scores, but also trying to grab a two for the ‘double roll-over’.

Robin, Phil, Adrian, Mark and Wyndham all managed a two-point eclectic improvement, with Robin, Phil and Grant occupying the podium places with 37, 36 and 36, with only 12 points between first and 10th.

Grant bagged a two on the sixth, but Mark grabbed a share of the kitty with a two on the 17th. Grant increased his lead at the top, but was still one point adrift in the eclectic.

Sunday, January 22, saw 13 take to the links, with last year’s winner, Kieron Plested, making a belated first outing this winter, but his score did tire somewhat towards the end of his round!

Having topped the pile the previous week, Robin found himself outside the top five and couldn’t improve his eclectic - neither could Wyndham, John, Phil, Mark or Adrian, but young Mr. Palmer did notch himself a first podium position this winter as his 39 points was good enough for bronze, just beaten on the back nine by our leader, Grant, with a fine six under net 25 pts on the back, but it was brother Tom who topped the pile in only his third winter outing (and he’s won twice) with an excellent 43 pts (with two blobs!) and improved his eclectic by nine points. Peter Turton was also mentioned by captain Martin in his speech as he helped himself to the twos kitty after his birdie on the 17th.

Inclement winter weather put paid to the planned battle on the 29th, but this was the first week that had been lost this winter - not a bad ratio - one down from 11.

The first February Sunday saw a baker’s dozen of Rabbits emerge onto the course. The first threeball of captain Martin, Kieron and Chris went smoking down the fairway, but they didn’t really set the course alight and couldn’t fire themselves into the top half.

Two Steve’s and two Watkins’ were in the next threeball, with two-thirds of them managing to get more than 30, but they all increased their eclectic scores by one - it’s tight at the top!

The next threeball all managed 30 or more, with Mark two better on eclectics, John one better, but Phil un-improved.

The final fourball resulted in half not bettering any scores (Robin and Peter), but Adrian (by one) and Wyndham (by two) both did.

The Rabbits’ putting accuracy went astray somewhat and no-one managed a two (although it would have paled into insignificance after the exploits of hole-in-one demon Jim Moffat earlier in the morning with ‘the others’) so there’ll be an enticing roll-over to encourage them back onto the course this Sunday.

The podium places were occupied by Bronze-boy Robin with 37 (so that’s three firsts and a third), Silver-lad Phil, one better with 38 (he’s been top once and second four times now) and Golden-kid John, another one better with 39, so that’s a first to go with his previous second in week five.

Four of the Rabbits have now had more than eight outings (and another four have eight) so the ‘Best eight scores’ rule will make things interesting in working out what scores they need to better to improve their league placing, with the eclectic aspect of the league giving each player something extra to think about as they stand on the next tee - but it doesn’t always help knowing you need to birdie the hole to improve!

As it currently stands, Grant leads the league on 298 with an 11-point lead from new second placed Phil, with Steve C 10 further back and Chris another 10 adrift, four ahead of Steve W. However Robin is lurking menacingly on 254 after only seven outings, so he’s the dark horse and the one to watch.

On the eclectic front, Steve C and Grant are tied at the top on 60, but Adrian is only three behind, so he could have sneaked up unnoticed, if we hadn’t noticed it now!

Captain Martin has also outlined the agenda for the next few months: the last Winter League is planned for March 12 (so that’s only five more weeks lads!), the Duffy Cup/ Joe S. Williams Shield medal on March 1 (for paid-up Winter League players), Mothers Day, March 26 (no official comp), first Three Counties Summer League game April 2 (home to South Pembs), Summer League at Carmarthen April 9, with the Rabbits Trip to Coleford April 21-23.

Rabbits League

P Tot Ec Best8

Grant Watkins 11 390 60 298

Phil Carpenter 8 287 54 287

Steve Cole 9 305 60 277

Chris Smith 8 266 53 266

Steve Watkins 11 336 55 262

Robin Bradbury 7 254 55 254

Martin Durham 8 250 50 250

John Ball 7 236 54 236

Mark Edwards 9 250 51 229

Adrian Palmer 7 225 57 225

Peter Turton 8 222 52 222

Mackie Harts 7 183 47 183

Wyndham Collins 5 149 45 149

Tom Watkins 3 102 53 102

Paul Crawford 2 49 35 49

Kieron Plested 2 47 33 47

LADIES’ SECTION

A belated happy New Year from the new scribe. Our long-standing press officer, Barbara Shaw, has decided to give her typewriter a well-earned rest. Pam Cole has taken over the role and will try to keep all readers up-to-date with what has been going on in our section of the club. We all thank Barbara for the time she has given over the years.

Winter golf can be a testing and frustrating time of the year for many of us. I for one am not one to venture out in windy, cold and wet weather if I can help it, but there are still some hardy (or mad!) golfers out there who wrap up and do their thing. Some weeks have had more brave souls than others, but this is what has been occurring.

Thursday, January 5: A 15-hole stableford had a decent field of 22 players. Winner was Linda Tordoff-Evans with a splendid 29 points, Carol Beecher came a close second with 28 and Helen Hughes was third on 26. There were two 2s recorded- one on the par three sixth by Heather Morgan and the other on the par four 13th by Denise Edwards.

Saturday, January 7: This was a club competition of ‘three clubs and a putter’. It is amazing how many golfers will say they have scored as many, if not more, points in this competition as they do with a full set of clubs. It just goes to show that ‘less clubs, less to muddle your mind!’ Anyway, 14 ladies took part and two managed to get into the top 10, with Gill John ninth on 28 pts, but well done Sarah Waring who came fifth with an excellent 30 pts.

Thursday, January 19: A 15-hole stableford ‘Waltz’ competition made up of teams of three players. Eight teams took part. In second place were Heather Morgan, Anne Hubbard and Carol Beecher on the back six, with 64 pts, but the outright winners were the team of Sue Shooter, Rebecca Naden and Maura Gunning on 67 pts.

Sunday, January 22: We have Sunday competitions to enable the ‘Working Girls’ to compete and eight ventured out. In second place was Fair Ball on a creditable 26 pts, but with an impressive 32 pts, the winner was Gill John. Well done Gill!

Thursday, January 26: A Chapman Foursomes competition was held. Again the weather wasn’t great, but Denise Edwards and Marion Clarke came out on top with 31 pts, closely followed by Penny Cope and Gill John on 30.

Unfortunately on Thursday, February 2, due to poor weather, there was no official competition.

Sunday, February 5: On a pleasant Sunday morning (compared to Thursday), seven players took to the links. Fair Ball come out on top with a nett 77 and Laura McQueen came second with a nett 82.

Senior Ladies

Our Senior Ladies continue to meet on Monday mornings and, similar to the male Chicken Trotters on a Friday, play for fun, friendship and not a lot of financial reward! Once a year they get together and have a special lunch after their game.

This was held on Monday, February 6, and once again the inclement weather meant no golf, but 26 past and present Senior Ladies sat down to a lovely meal arranged by Senior organiser Iris Davies, ably assisted by Dinah Reed.

During the luncheon, Happy Birthday was sung to member Judy Brew - as well as catering manager Emma - who were both celebrating birthdays.

The ladies are pictured above at the event.

CONGRATULATIONS

As I have now nearly caught up with golfing life within our section, I would like to finish up by congratulating some of our players.

Well done to Sue Griffiths and Bev Owen, who will go through to the second round of the Daily Mail Foursomes competition, and also many congratulations to Beth Morris, who has recently represented Wales in the South American Amateur Championships held at Martindale Country Club, near Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she finished tied fourth with a final score of three under after four rounds.

A fantastic result Beth, well done from all of us.

LOCKER ROOM

Lastly, could I remind all members that work has commenced on the improvements to our Ladies Locker Room. Although there will be some disruption in and around this area, I am sure that the end result will be worth it. Please be mindful ladies that workmen will be in our domain, so any prancing around in underwear of various descriptions (Bridget Jones-style, or those with less material!) should be done discreetly! We do not want to shock our tradesmen and cause an accident, resulting in a delay in completing the works!