Tenby clinch double over Pennard

The Tenby GC team entertained their counterparts from Pennard GC last Saturday. The match was played in somewhat horrendous conditions - heavy rain and strong winds throughout the day.

Tenby had claimed a very rare success on The Gower last May when they came away with a victory by eight to four. Pennard were seeking revenge, but the home side proved up for the challenge.

In the top match, Tenby’s vice-captain, Mike Anthony, was partnered by his proposed successor Nick Allen. They faced Pennard’s vice-captain Mike Bennett, who served as the club professional for 50 years, and Mike Neville. A great tussle ended in an honourable half.

Tenby captain Neil Thomas and Darren Thomas were always in charge against Lee Dickinson and Rob Rose, winning four and three.

However, Chris Beecher and Craig Thomas did not fare so well against Dai Rees and Keith Child. They succumbed three and two.

The six and five win by Martin Morris and Dai Cope over John Webb and Steve Kissick was the joint biggest of the day.

After just a few holes, Gary McNeilly and John Stenson accepted a win when David Beynon and Jeff Joseph conceded.

Peter Rossi and Richard Prout were convincing five and four winners over Dave Hill and Andrew Richards.

Neil Webb and Phil Goodridge were the other Tenby pair to lose. They fell four and two against Martin Diment and Roger Essex.

Steve Maytum and Simon Evans had a narrow one-up win over Tim Rees and Colin Lea.

Gethin Evans and Richard Ormond were never behind against Tony Robero and Chris Thomas, winning three and two.

Barrie Frayne and Dai Skyrme were the other six and five winners. They beat Nigel Burgess and Neil Ford.

Jeremy Peters and David Morgan had a handsome five and four win over Wayne Williams and Andrew Williams.

Consequently, Tenby won the match, one of the oldest cup fixtures in Welsh golf, by 8.5 to 2.5.

Despite getting soaked on the course, there was the traditional camaraderie between both sides in the clubhouse. The two vice-captains entertained competitors with a seriies of great jokes. The Tenby players are now looking forward to their annual trip to Swansea next year.

Footnote: Tenby GC wish to congratulate Pennard GC for a very successful season. Pennard won both the Victory Shield Foursomes at Aberdovey and the Welsh Team Championships at Rhuddlan. The latter qualifies Pennard for the European Championships which are being held in Bordeaux later this month - they travel with Tenby’s best wishes.

South Wales Seniors Classic

This competition is supported by around 70 Golf Clubs in South Wales, and this year, overall, £70,000 was raised for Wales Air Ambulance. Competitors, who must be over 55 and members of their club’s Seniors section, play in teams comprising three pairs and two reserves and the format is four ball better ball, with a maximum playing handicap of 18.

This year, the club entered two teams; imaginatively called Tenby A and Tenby B - I’m going to list all the players’ names, because they all deserve recognition for representing Tenby - and performing valiantly to boot!

Tenby A - captain Robin Hagley, Chris Beecher, Jim Moffatt, Allen Watts, Brian Jones, Tim Edwards, Martin Neilan and Alan Jones.

Tenby B - captain Jeff Banfield, Austin Davies, Barry Frayne, Idwal David, Peter Williams, Charles Dredge, Steve Sutcliffe and Wyndham Collins.

Their progress through the various rounds of the competition went like this:

First round: Tenby A played Swansea Bay A, away - and won; Tenby B played Glynneath B, away - and won

Second round: Tenby A played Cilgwyn, at home - and won; Tenby B played St. Pierre, at home -and won

Quarter-final (played at Morriston): Tenby A played Llanishen A - and lost by the narrowest of margins after a play-off; Tenby B played Pontardawe B - and won!

Semi-final (played at Clyne): Tenby B played Raglan Park B - and won!

The final (played at The Grove, on September 14): Tenby B played Neath B - and sadly lost 2 and 1

I’m sure you will agree that both teams performed with distinction and for the B team to come so close to overall victory in the final was a tremendous effort.

Captain of the A team, Robin, demands exceedingly high standards in all things - and he did not believe that his team was good looking enough to grace the pages of this tabloid; Jeff Banfield had no such scruples - hence - the photograph shows the B team - still smiling after their narrow defeat. Well done to you all!

Ladies’ Section

Catching up with events since the middle of September, four pairs of Tenby ladies went to Glyn Abbey on Wednesday 13th to play in the C & P Greensomes Trophy. This event had already been re-arranged from earlier in the summer because of wet weather and a reduced number of 26 pairs took part.

The course was very wet and made scoring difficult. However, Tenby ladies did quite well, with Pam Cole and Bev Owen coming fourth with 31 points and picking up a voucher each for their efforts and Gill John and Penny Cope winning the shield after a score of 35 points and also earning a voucher each.

For the ladies who had endured the Glyn Abbey conditions, it was good to return back to the Tenby links the next day for the monthly medal. The best score came from Sue Shooter with a fine nett 75 to reduce her handicap by one to 22, Pam Cole coming second with 77 and Heather Morgan coming thrrd with 82.

There was also a nine-hole stableford competition, Barbara Williams coming first, Dinah Reed second and Ann Marsden third.

Thursday, September 21, was the Autumn Cup and 23 people played. It was - for some - a good scoring round and Penny Cope continued her good form by coming third on countback with 37 points, just beaten by Heather Morgan who was second, with the cup being won by Denise Edwards with an excellent 38 points, which resulted in her reducing her handicap to six.

Two 2s came from the top two - Denise and Heather - and both on the 17th.

Sunday, September 24, was Finals Day, as reported in last week’s issue.

Thursday, September 28, was the Charity Breast Cancer Awareness - ‘Pink Day’ - and this year the format was a Jubilee Threes (team of three - best two scores of three per hole). It was great to see the ladies brighten up the links with their vibrant pink attire which attracted a few raised eyebrows - and a bit of banter - from visiting gentlemen to the course.

It was rather a breezy day which made some of the holes quite tough.

Linda Thomas - the lady captain - was generous in providing some prizes for the top teams as £1.50 per player of the entrance fee went to the Breast Cancer charity.

In third place on countback with 69 points was the team of Louise Hill, Nesta Hart and Toni Lucas, with the team in second place being Pam Cole, Pat Fox and Liz Storey on 71. Clear winners by a good margin (13 points!) were Bev Owen, Trevayne Keohane and Helen Hughes on 84 points.

With further donations from the ladies, I believe a good sum was raised on the day for this worthy cause. Well done us.

It was good to see Mary Rowell down at the club again supporting the ‘Pink Day’ - continuing her improvement since her nasty fall back in the summer. Nice to see you back at the club, Mary.

Also Pat Fox, Liz Storey and Pam Cole paid a visit to Helen Morgan who is still in a neck brace and recovering from a broken neck a couple of months ago. She’s in fine form with a very positive attitude and seemingly making good progress.

Looking forward to seeing you both back on the course when you’re able to girls.

P. C.

Summer is over - the Winter Eclectic begins

All around the area, senior golfers are being rubbed down with Goose Grease and stitched into their red flannel winter ‘Long Johns’ in preparation for golf at the chillier end of the year. The balmy days of shorts and shirts are over; and corduroys, thick socks and woolly sweaters are being pulled out of hibernation ready for a Welsh winter. Yes - I do know that the Gulf Stream curls into the Bristol Channel and lifts the ambient temperature by a smidgeon, but the difference between really cold and b****y freezing is very little!

However, the Tenby Seniors are tough customers, fearing no frost and worried not a jot by wind, 35 mature men signed up for the first eclectic competition on Tuesday, October 3 - and guess what? - the weather was delightful!

This was Idwal David’s first event as captain, it would have been an excellent day to win, sadly he missed the top spot by a couple of shots - but he did receive something! In the enforced absence of past captain Dudley, secretary Derek Cole presented Idwal with his Seniors’ captain tie; this touching moment was captured on camera for all to see.

As for the Stableford competition, when the results were computed there were eight smiling faces - nine if you count the result of the charity raffle. Thirty-seven points was the top score, and Keith Hubbard was the man who did it. The same score was also the second best, and Jim Moffatt was the perpetrator - just pipped over the last three holes. Allen Watts claimed third place with 35 points, and the other 32 punters achieved various stages of lessness!

Five accurate golfers only needed two strokes to put the ball in the hole on a par three, these being Idwal David, Jim Moffatt, Tony Ranoe and Michael Whale on the sixth and Tim Edwards, who left his birdie until the 17th. All of the above received varying amounts of gold from our ever generous treasurer, Stan Hudson - but not as much gold as the £10 reward for winning the raffle, which worryingly went to the raffle organiser; Mike Fox.

As you read this modest little offering, the first Chicken Trot of the season will either be happening or have just finished. This is a big money event that attracts golfers from as far away as St. Florence! Read all about it next week.

M.F.

Seasiders topple Borderers

Tenby GC hosted the Tenby and Whitland Annual Tournament last Friday.

The competitors are former players of old rivals Tenby United RFC and Whitland RFC.

The format is fourball betterball.

Tenby retained the cup with a resounding six-nil win.

Next year’s match will be played at Derllys Court GC and Whitland will be looking for revenge.

• The Tenby team were all pleased to see Simon Allen playing for Whitland following his horrific accident.

Simon’s game may actually have improved, although his speed of play seems to have remained about as it was previously!