Ladies Captain drives in at Wrexham G C
Wrexham golf club was busy last Tuesday morning to witness the new Ladies’ Captain Mrs Eileen Graham drive into office at 9.30 a.m. prior to the competition that traditionally accompanies her ceremonial strike.
On a fine sunlit morning Mrs Graham struck a fine shot down the middle of the first fairway to the shock sound of Bill Williams’s twelve bore shotgun which coincides with the moment of truth. A fraction early on the trigger and the end product can be the stuff of legend, but Bill has done this deed for many years now having taken over from the late professional, John Powell who was instrumental in starting off this tradition with the even later Donnie Stevens who suggested that the Captains Drive in should “start with a bang”
John performed the ceremony for over thirty years before handing over to Bill who is still going strong. Mrs Graham was followed on to the tee by Ladies’ Vice captain Mrs Ann Davies who produced an equally efficient stroke to the applause of about forty members, predominantly ladies, who had turned out to witness the event.
The competition that followed was in the form of a nine holes Drawn fourball with the best three scores to count. Winning team comprised Janet Brand, Carolann Jones, Janet Brunyee and Maureen Cox with 53 points. They were followed by the second placed team of Anne Morgan, Jo Davies, Mary Hunter and Rachael Davies with 51.
A separate competition was held for veteran ladies over the back nine holes and this was won by Margaret Ellis on 16 Stableford points from Ceris Jenkins with 15 points.
The club Annual General Meeting will be held next Wednesday 25th March when the Officers change over and the incoming captain looks forward with eager anticipation to Bill raising his shotgun yet again at 1.00 p.m. on Saturday April 4th when he drives himself into Office accompanied by the outgoing captain and his newly appointed Vice Captain for 2009. This is the occasion of the April medal and the traditional day for this ceremony to take place.
Last Sunday the winter league drew to its conclusion with the top four possible winners taking to the course in excellent golfing conditions. These top four could not be drawn together so the anticipation was knife edge amongst the players to do well on the day.
Two of the potential winners, Andy Wynne and Clive Griiffiths had an indifferent day and rather played themselves out of contention finishing third and fourth eventually with 53 and 52 points respectively.
Neil Edwards partnered John Williams to the days best score gaining 10 individual points, enough to elevate him from last weeks fourth place to this weeks runner up spot, but it was left to Alan Harris who turned in a 73 gross off nine handicap partnering Ian Darlington for second place on the day but a nine point addition to his already strong score giving him a grand total of 54 out of a possible 60 points taking the best six scores out of a possible eight.
The event has been organized for very many years by different members, this year by Alan Harris the eventual winner, and has always been dedicated to the memory of Brian Pattison who was the originator in the mid eighties and the controlling agent for over ten years. His wife Gill Pattison always takes an active interest in the progress of the competition as the weeks go by.