Continuing my ’catch-up’ reports, the first event for the Tenby Ladies Golf Section in October was a qualifying competition for the Daily Mail Foursomes. Twelve pairs entered and 29 was a popular score obtained by 4 teams, but only good enough for 5th to 8th places.

In 3rd was Beth McMann and Fair Ball with 32 points but countback was needed to separate the top 2 who both scored an impressive 40 points with Treavayne Keohane and Carol Beecher’s back 9 of 22 losing out to the back 9 of 23 from Julie Tordoff and Linda Tordoff-Evans.

The poor weather caused the Medal arranged for the 11th to be postponed.

On Sunday the 14th a re-arranged competition based on the format of the Ladies Solheim Cup (re-named as the ’Saltheim Cup’) was played. Two ’teams’ are selected, one to represent Europe and the other to represent the USA with 16 Ladies taking part on a beautiful morning. I am told that there were ’well-fought games’ which resulted in a win for the Europe team. An after-match meal was enjoyed by all, with thanks going to Emma and her team.

Due to the atrocious weather throughout Wales on Thursday the 11th and Friday the 12th , I (The Lady Captain) was somewhat anxious about the forthcoming Autumn Away Day arranged for Monday the 15th to Cottrell Park Golf Resort, near Cardiff.

Although there were no phone calls to say the course was closed I was still concerned that conditions could be rather messy. Sixteen Ladies left Kilgetty Information Centre just before 8am on Monday with some enjoying some fizzy lubricant and chocolates to aid them on the journey. On arrival we all received a very warm welcome with bacon (or egg) rolls and tea or coffee being served before venturing out onto the course.

The Ladies (as per usual) had to have a pre-round Pro-Shop browse and a number of purchases were made with some smiling happy faces scurrying off to the lockers with their bargains. Finbarr from the Pro-Shop greeted the 1st group onto the tee and also provided a dozen balls to be used as prizes which was very much appreciated.

The Mackintosh course was in very good condition, despite the weather the previous weekend, and the Ladies found it was a tiring course and appeared longer than Tenby (although measuring 350 yards less) due to the inclines, lack of run and the walks from some greens to tees.

All the Ladies enjoyed their rounds despite not everyone scoring that well (we are not used to all that water and all those trees!) but in 4th place was Vice-Captain Bev Owen with 28 points, in 3rd was Penny Cope with 29 points, runner-up was Sue Shooter with 30 but the clear winner was Helen Hughes with a decent 36 points- and no blobs!

The top 4 all received some very nice glassware which was once again donated by Mr Giles Birt of Birt & Co in memory of his late mother, Audrey, a past Ladies’ Captain (in 1967) who had arranged the first Autumn Away Day back in 1970 to Newport Links. The Ladies’ Section are very grateful for his continued support of this event. After prize-giving we all enjoyed a very tasty meal before the homeward journey with the finishing-off of the Prosecco and a sing-song! All in all, a Great Day!

The re-arranged Autumn Cup stableford was held on Thursday 18th, however some of the Ladies were still ’getting over’ the Away Day! Twenty five cards were taken out onto the course and the top 10 all managed 30 points or more. Coming 4th on countback was Angie Gottwaltz, in 3rd was Fair Ball and in 2nd was Bev Owen, all scoring 33 points. The winner was Denise Edwards with a decent 35 points.

On Sunday the 21st the Ladies played against the Rabbits section- a long-established contest which was inaugurated in 1974. Over the years, due to poor weather conditions and busy schedules, the Salver has not been played for every year, however in my year of Captaincy- and having a Rabbit for a husband- I made every effort to fix a date and pray to the Almighty that the weather would hold. This fixture has historically been a popular event with the Ladies and indeed this year’s match was no exception with a number of men also enjoying their first outing against the Ladies.

In the absence of the present Rabbits’ Captain the Vice-Captain Steve Watkins was most gracious and sporting by agreeing to allow the Ladies to join them on two particular tees (the 5th and 8th -where the Ladies’ red tees are much further back than the Rabbits’ yellow tees). One of the highlights of the day was a Hole-In-One on the 6th by Beth McMann out in the first group. Beth took a 5 rescue which she didn’t think was going to get there, but in her words she said ’it just kept on rolling!’ A fantastic achievement and on behalf of everyone thank you very much for the ritual celebratory drink at the bar. All the games were played in good spirit with much humour and banter and all the results proved to be quite close.

The Rabbits probably felt they were on a winning streak as they won the first 3 matches but the Tail-End Ladies had other ideas and bagged the last 4 games to win 4-3. The Rabbits, and especially the Ladies, had a wonderful day and long may the event continue. The report in last week’s paper from Mr Warren Hacker appeared to suggest that the ’aggregate scores’ gave the Rabbits victory but we won 4-3 and the name of the Ladies will be engraved on the Salver- perhaps he’s got a touch of Myxomatosis!

On Thursday the 25th we had an 18 hole stableford comp, with a draw for partners and tee-times. Twenty one played and eleven scored 30 or more. In third place on countback was Bev Owen with 34 points, in second place losing on countback was Pam Cole on 35 points but with a back 9 of 19 the winner with 35 points was Sue Shooter. Beth McMann gets another mention, this time she birdied the 17th for the only 2 of the day.

On Sunday the 28th 4 Ladies entered a Par Bogey comp on a windy morning. The scores were close with Moyanne Monday coming second on countback on 5 down and Gill John winning with 4 down. It is pleasing to see the Sunday competitions being supported. There are more Sunday comps on the computer arranged for November so please sign up.

And that means I am now up-to-date with the golfing life of the Ladies’ Section!

P. C.

Tenby retain the Ashburnham Putter

with pic.

On Wednesday, October 17, Tenby welcomed Ashburnham Golf Club to play the oldest inter-club golf match in Wales, believed to have first been played in 1893. Sixteen of Tenby’s finest attempted the retain the trophy, which was won the previous year by 4 matches to 3, away at Ashburnham.

The weather was dry, sunny and mild for the time of year, with very little wind. The course, as always, in excellent condition, a credit to the greens’ staff, particularly when taking account of the extreme weather conditions experienced during the previous 12 months.

First off for Tenby were Mike Anthony, immediate Past Captain and deputising for Nick Allen partnered with John Gilman, against Ashburnham Captain Simon Gravelle and Nick Francis. The Tenby duo were never behind in the match and were in fact 2 up with 2 to play. A half was all that was required for Tenby to claim the spoils. However, when a tap in three (probably) for the Tenby pairing looked likely to seal victory, Simon Gravelle held his nerve and slotted a ten-footer across the 17th green for a two. A four down the last for the Ashburnham Captain was good enough for the match to end in a half, a “friendly” start.

The big hitting Alan Webster and Richard Morton were next out of the blocks for Tenby, against Ashburnham’s Vice Captain Ian Thomas and Colin Jones, both playing off a handicap of 4. A tight match all the way round, with great golf and birdies aplenty, the Tenby pair delighted to narrowly win by one up.

Tenby’s third pair were Graham Moore and the evergreen Steve Sutcliffe against Huw Dixon and Ian Binnie. The game was nip and tuck throughout and the Tenby pair unlucky to go down on the last, losing by one down.

The fourth group saw Dai Cope and Chris Beecher for Tenby against Phil Hall and Jonathan Lewis. Chris continued in the fine form he’s shown all season and with Dai apparently “helping out” now and again, the result was a convincing victory for Tenby by 5 and 4.

Welsh Seniors Greensomes Champion Loz Phillips and Mr Consistent Roger Schooling found little trouble in beating Ashburnham’s Past Captain John Jenkins and Jez Watson by 4 and 3.

Another big win for Tenby’s Gary McNeilly and Alistair Knibb who dove-tailed well against Rob Stevens and Mark Ward, the result being 5 and 4.

A much tighter affair for Jeremy Peters and Barrie Frayne of Tenby against Mike Lloyd and Nick Watson, but the Tenby pair battled hard to the end and were rewarded with a 1 up victory.

The final match of the day was between Dai Skyrme and the even ever greener John Gillespie against Ashburnham’s Martin Hale and Peter Evans, Tenby securing yet another excellent win by 4 and 3.

The traditional post match meal was enjoyed by all and Captain Nick Allen formally welcomed the Ashburnham Team to Tenby and thanked the home team players for their support. He then invited his counterpart Simon Gravelle to announce the final score, a resounding win for Tenby by 6 and a half to 1 and a half and the “putter” retained for another year and re-positioned in its rightful place above the main entrance.

Nick Allen, as the floor was his, went onto educate those present and provided a fascinating history of the competition between both clubs, first played in 1893. Including the fact that due to the lack of infrastructure and motorised vehicles at the time, the original teams had to travel to one another’s golf clubs by boat to play the fixtures. John Gillespie reminisced, only a junior member at the time, how he was once sea sick just outside the harbour wall, on the approach to Burry Port.

The celebrations for some and drowning of sorrows for others went on well into the evening and the camaraderie between both teams was obvious. The time then came for the Ashburnham team to prepare for the journey home, disappointed with the result, but grateful they were travelling by mini bus.