Clays Seniors Open August 12th 2021 report from Mike Healey. Photos will be added later

Clays Senior's Open - Result and Report Seniors - The "Glorious 12th" came and went and we are not talking grouse shooting here! On your behalf, the senior committee worked hard yesterday, for our Seniors Open and what a roaring success it was for everybody. Lots of great comments concerning the whole operation were forthcoming, especially on the running of the competition. 65 Clays members and 41 visiting club members coming from Wrexham, Llangollen, Padeswood & Buckley, Pryors Hayes, Arscott and Hawarden all took part. The Committee would like to thank all visitors for their support and participation in the event and further hope that we can all meet up again in 2022. Having thanked the visitors - there are, of course, a number of thank yous due elsewhere. Firstly, there were quite a few contributions from you (our senior members) to make up a generous raffle, which always makes money, especially if "Del Boy" Don is selling the tickets - did anybody actually see the "Speedboat" prize? Steve reports a bumper profit on the raffle (figures to follow). Our thanks go out to you as members for supporting with raffle prizes, taking part in the comp and for any other contributions that you made. A massive thank you goes to Mark and the green keeper's team - the course was closed for three hours on Wednesday for extra preparation and I'm sure we all appreciated the effort that had gone into it. There were a dozen players from Arscott, who paid particular attention to the course being immaculate. They waxed lyrical about the club set up, the food and bar afterwards (another thank you to Hayley) and generally acknowledged that they would return to Clays for other competitions. They are even booking Clays for their forthcoming Captain's Away Day . There was also a sterling effort made by Chris, who manned the desk all day for payment / handicap checking etc and Tom, as early morning "Mr Starter" for his shift, not to mention Steve with his totting up of the takings in the afternoon.The biggest thank you must go to Don for overseeing everything from the outset. He "drove" us on to sign up (or should that read - drove us mad?) for the occasion. He e-mailed a myriad of clubs to advertise the Open, made thorough checks with Mark regarding the course beforehand and further checks with Josh on prizes. He prepared the cards / scoreboard in advance and oversaw detailed checks and organisation on the day. He then proceeded to sell us all raffle tickets for the "Boat!" Well done Don - magnificent effort. What about a result you ask. Warm weather with a slight breeze was the order of the day. Course conditions were fantastic and the greens were like lightning with some fairly difficult pin positions. 106 golfers took part in the comp and the following prizes were awarded. The points scores were considerably lower than our normal Pairs Betterball results but the prizes were well worth it - Roll on Clays Senior Open 2022 Results: First: Andy MacDougal & Paul Davies (Clays) 40pts (c/b) £100 each Second: Colin Brown & Nigel Davies (Clays) 40pts (c/b) £60 each Third: William Jones & Dave Jones (Padeswood & Buckley) 39 pts (c/b) £40 each Nearest the Pin (5th): Steve Jones (Padeswood & Buckley) £20 Nearest Pin in Two (18th): Guests only Steve Jones (Padeswood & Buckley) £20 Nearest the Line (10th): Vic King (Arscott G.C) £20

Pairs Betterball results from Mike Healey August 10th 2021

Seniors - what have we done that is good to deserve all this good weather on Kitty comp mornings? Another glorious morning, but I have to say, some rather mediocre scores in the Pairs Betterball. In line with WHS we did apply the 85% handicap ruling this time and that might have had some effect, still all good practice for our Senior's Open on Thursday. At the end of play we still required some count back. The golf flowed from no fewer than 36 seniors and the camaraderie and banter was once again commented on, back in the bar area. Pairs Betterball result: First: Mike Scott and Alan Barnsdale 44 points (c/b) £7.00 each Second: Bill Kelleher and Keith Jones 44 points (c/b) £5.00 each Third: Jon Falcus and Mick Carnell 39 points (c/b) £4.00 each Fourth: Stewart Poole and Tom Pierce 39 points (c/b) £2.00 each

Seniors Medal August 5th 2021

DIVISION ONE 1. Damain Atkin 85-20= 65 2. Nigel Davies 85-19= 66 3. Dave Palfermna 86-15= 69 DIVISION TWO 1. Harold Hughes 90- 26= 64 2. Michael Scott 89-21=68 3. Tom McGrady 93-24= 69 DIVISION THREE 1. Colin Evans 104-36=68 2. Peter Bowen 105-37= 68 3. Alan Pocklington 106-36= 70 Using his driver Harold Hughes had an ace at the 2nd hole

2's were recorded by Chris Jacques at the 12th, Tom McGrady at the 5th and George Hughes also at the 5th

Bonus Ball August 3rd 2021. Results from Mike Healey.

Seniors - there was a change in the calendar today - 35 intrepid golfers turned up and played a Bonus Ball. We played a Pairs Betterball last week and we have inserted another Pairs Betterball next Tuesday, in preparation for the Senior Open on the 12th August (there are still tees available for this event). Because of the odd number we once again split into two competitions. We were blessed with the weather - dry sunny conditions with a very light breeze and no excuses for poor golf. We concluded the tally draw on time and all got away early from the clubhouse, but even better, most groups were back in under four hours making the presentation of prizes at 1.30pm. There were two prizes for each section. Bonus Ball Result: Threeball First: Peter Taylor, Billy Spilsted, Mike Healey 140 points £4.00 each Second: Bill Kelleher, Tony Jackson, Alan Bottomley 129 points £1.00 each Third: Mike Hollings, Jon Falcus, Barry Evans 126 points Bonus Ball Result: Fourball First: Colin Brown, Tom McGrady, Alan Barnsdale, Liam Roddis 175 points £4.00 each Second: Mike Scott, Tony Owens, Les Williams, Ernie Williams 168 points £1.00 each Third: Keith Jones, Colin Evans, Dave Jones, Bob Jarvis 161 points

Captains Newsletter July 2021

July has been a busy month for competitions with another round of board comps, inter club matches, Jubilee Plate etc. There seems to be an additional competition as to who can play golf on the most consecutive days. I know of two seniors who have played 8 days on the bounce in a mixture of competitions. If you have done more, well done especially considering the hot weather. However, as I write this it is raining heavily outside, so the greens may be a little more receptive by the weekend. A big thanks from Lady Captain Christine and myself to all members who supported us on our Captains Day. A little apology for the pin positions. It is the first time in 23 years as a club member I have been allowed to choose the pin positions; now you know why! Thanks to head greenkeeper Mark for his advice (share the blame). Also, thanks to Josh and Russ for their help on the day. A big thanks to everyone who contributed to the charity raffle in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. Approximately £200 was raised. Congratulations go to the competition winners: Mens Barry Dare; Ladies Jane Evans & Seniors Phil Morris. The Senior Championship Senior took place on 20th and 22nd July. Congratulations to Alan Bottomley who scored 74 stableford points over the two rounds. Last weekend (24th & 25th) saw good participation in the club championship. Thanks to Mark and the green staff for presenting the course in such good condition. However, after experiencing the pin positions on Sunday I think I might retract my earlier apology. Congratulations to the winners; Mens Club Champion, Andy Ward (155 gross); Rowland Cup Chris Bell (136 nett); Ladies Club Champion Challenge Bowl, Jane Evans (171 gross); Harcombe Trophy Shirley Roberts (146 nett) Looking forward, August will be nearly as busy as July. Dates for the diary include, for those of a qualifying age (55+), the Senior Open on Thursday 12 August. If you are eligible, please support this big day in the senior calendar. Why not invite your friends from other clubs to compete for the various prizes on what is sure to be a great day. Book your tee at golf reception. President’s day will be held on Saturday 21st August. This is an honours board competition and will be a shotgun start at 9.30am. There will be on-course refreshments. The competition will be followed by a short presentation to the winners in the bar afterwards. Please print your name on the sign-up sheet placed on the notice board in the foyer of the club house. Captains Charity Day, in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society, will take place on Sunday 29th August. This will be a fun competition for teams of 3 or 4 players, entry fee £10/player with all proceeds going to the charity. There will also be additional prizes to be announced nearer the date. If any member or a company known to a member wishes to sponsor a prize or a hole on the course for the day, please contact me via email or phone. We will also be holding a charity raffle on the day, anyone wishing to donate a prize please leave it at golf reception or bring it with you on the day. The competition will be a shotgun start at 9.00am. Please print your name on the sign-up sheet placed on the notice board in the foyer of the club house. Finally, a plea from green staff and members alike, now that Covid restrictions on golf have been lifted, please rake the bunkers. Until next time, enjoy your golf and stay safe. Dave Palferman Captain 2021 dpalferman@gmail.com

Waltz/Tango result from Mike Healey July 29th 2021

Seniors - the weather gods are with us. Dry and warm conditions were very pleasant to play in today, although a gusty breeze meant that quite a few shots went astray. The greens were true and the fairways look better than ever. 39 members turned out for the tally draw, so we played 5 x threeballs in a Waltz competition and 6 x fourballs in a Tango competition. Please find Results below: Waltz Result: First: Dilly Jones, Mike Scott, Mike Hollings 77 points £4.00 each Second: Damian Atkin, Peter Taylor, Mick Carnell 71 points £1.00 each Tango Result: First: Colin Evans, Jon Falcus, Peter Bowen, Graham Bryne 111 points £4.00 each Second: Stewart Poole, Russ Adamson, Bob Jarvis, Harry Collins 93 points £2.00 each

Clays Seniors away match Result at Hawarden courtesy of Malcolm Williams July 27th 2021

Clays Seniors maintained their unbeaten run this season with a 5 and a half - 2 and a half win away at Hawarden. Players were uncertain after a few holes whether the rounds would be completed as there was thunder all around but thankfully no lightning. All matches finished although we did get a soaking for our troubles. Hawarden were having a major problem with electrics in the Clubhouse but they managed to entertain really well in a local hostelry. Malcolm

Pairs Betterball Tuesday July 27th Report from Mike Healey

Another good day for the Seniors. Sixteen members went off with Malcolm Williams' team to contest a match with Hawarden GC, which promised to be a little thin on the ground back home. The Tally draw was re-introduced and 24 seniors making a swift start, took part in a Pairs Betterball. The forecast was for light showers coming in at 11.00am but despite the thunder claps around the place, the rain did not materialize until nearly 2.00pm. All remained dry but even more so the course. The greens are still fast and true with some tight pins remaining from the Club Championship at the weekend. It all led to some good scores - Tally draw again on Thursday for a "Tango". Today's Result: Pairs Betterball: First: Colin Brown and Bob Jarvis 46pts £6.00 each Second: Dave Jones and Bob Brown 45pts £4.00 each Third: Stewart Poole and Nigel Harris 44pts £2.00 each

Seniors 2 day challenge 2nd day July 22nd 2021 including overall result

Division 1 First: Alan Bottomley 40 points Second: Damian Atkin 35 points Third: David Palferman 35 points Division 2 First : Keith Jones 39 points Second: Steve Monk 38 points Third: Leslie Williams 36 points ********************************************* Overall result aggregate First: Alan Bottomley 34 + 40 = 74 Second: Keith Jones 34 + 39 = 73 Third: Steve Monk 32+ 38 = 70

Seniors Competitions August 2021

SENIORS COMPETITIONS AUGUST 2021 DATE KITTY COMPS – BLUE COMMENTS OTHER COMPS – BLACK Tuesday 3rd Aug PAIRS BETTERBALL Tally Thursday 5th Aug AUGUST MEDAL (Strokeplay) (Men - White Tees; Ladies - Red) plus 9-HOLE COMPETITION (Yellow tees) Book in advance via noticeboard / phone Don or reception for late entries Tuesday 10th Aug BONUS BALL Tally Thursday 12th Aug CLAYS SENIORS OPEN - PAIRS BETTERBALL Entry Fees - £8.00 members / £12.00 non-members. First Prize - £100.00 each and many other prizes including raffle Tuesday 17th Aug PRIORS HAYES OPEN See Tony Harcombe for details Tuesday 17th Aug HOME PLAYERS TBD Kitty Comp decided on the day depending on numbers - Tally Thursday 19th Aug D. J. BOGIE' COMPETITION Format = Bogey, Yellow Tees Book in advance via noticeboard / phone Don or reception for late entries Saturday 21st Aug PRESIDENT'S DAY Book in advance with reception Tuesday 24th Aug YELLOW BALL - 4,5,4,5 Tally Thursday 26th Aug PAIRS - BOTH TO COUNT Tally Tuesday 31st Aug "9 x 3" PLUS "9 x 2" Tally Thursday 2nd Sep SEPTEMBER MEDAL (Strokeplay) (Men - White Tees; Ladies - Red) plus 9-HOLE COMPETITION (Yellow tees) Book in advance via noticeboard / phone Don or reception for late entries

Seniors 2 day challenge Stableford Round 1 July 20th 2021

Divsion 1 First: Chris Jacques 38 points Second: David Jones 36 points Third: Michael Scott 35 points Division 2 First: Neville Bassett 40 points Second: Mike Healey 39 points Third: Peter Fraser 36 points Davis Jones carded the only 2 of the day on the 5th hole.

Multiplier result from Mike Healey Thursday July 15th 2021

Kitty Comp. Multiplier Result and Report Thursday 15th July It was great to set off from three tees again and from the outset, there seemed to be more of a buzz around the car park. News of Golf Wales looking to lift covid playing restrictions, helped the atmosphere and Clays’ Seniors are now considering going back to tally draws as soon as possible. 35 seniors entered the comp with last minute changes to the group numbers and we ended up playing 5 x three balls and 5 x four balls – two separate competitions. The weather remained cool with a slight breeze and a threat of light showers, but the forecast always said warmer weather in the afternoon. Today’s Multiplier still had a few players scratching their heads over simple multiplication, so the mathematicians were encouraged to complete the cards. Multiplier Result: Three Ball: First: Dave Talbot, Graham Bryne, Tom McGrady (80 pts) £4.00 each Second: Rodney Evans, Mike Griffiths, Harold Hughes (78 pts) £1.00 each Four Ball: First: Keith Jones, Neville Bassett, Ralph Howard, Ken Tieszen (116 pts c/b) £4.00 each Second: Jon Falcus, Irwin Elkin, Ian Ketland, Tony Jackson (116 pts c/b) £1.00 each

Senior Vets Trophy July 13th 2021

There we no 2's recorded today. Results as follows: 1. Damian Atkin 90-21-69 2. Jonathan Falcus 84-13-71 3. Alan Barnsdale 89-18-71 4. Colin Brown 93-22-71 5. Nigel Davies 91-19-72

Provisional Ball rules July 21st 2021 from Fred.

July 14th 2021. Provisional Ball rules. I broached this subject when the new simplified rules were introduced some time back, now after a year or so we appear to be even more confused. The fictional character “Jack Reacher” has the ability register time in his head, to compete with this ability perhaps we all need to carry a 3 minute egg timer. The time permitted to search for your ball has been reduced from 5 down to 3 minutes. What is a “Provisional Ball”? it is a ball permitted to be played from the same place as your last ball which may have come to rest “Out of Bounds” or come to rest within the “General Area” but may be difficult to find. If the original ball is not found and identified within 3 minutes of search, your provisional ball becomes the ball in play. (Stroke and Distance). I hear Players who have watched their ball flight into a “Red Area” or “Hazard” say I shall play a Provisional Ball. The rules do not permit a provisional ball to be played in such cases unless there may be doubt the ball did not remain within but may be difficult to find, rules state clearly “May be Lost in the General Area”. A further adjudication point lies with the change in the circumstances a provisional may be played, insomuch as far back that I can remember a provisional ball had to be played prior to moving forward to search, a change in the rules now allow you to move forward to search, but gives the option to return and play a provisional ball provided this can be done within three minutes, hence the 3 min. egg times or Jack Reacher as your Caddy. Should your ball come to rest in a “Red Area” what are your options? Next time. Sheriff.

Captains Day July 12th 2021

A great turn out. Results as follows First Barry Dare with 38 points Second Paul Hardy with 37 points Third Andy Matthews with 37 points Don Wraight kindly sent the following photos of the day.

Seniors Texas scramble Report Thursday July 7th 2021 from Mike Healey

REPORT - Texas Scramble Results Course closure on Tuesday and heavy weather again yesterday left the course in fairly wet condition. Four holes closed created havoc for the multiple start but the troops knuckled down and walked out to distant tees to keep everybody moving. The weather held all morning and playing conditions were quite benign. The early Senior start time seemed to suit most and cards were returned within good time, albeit reduced number of holes. The final scores ranged between 39 and 46, but appear strange because of handicap adjustments. There were only three kitty cash prizes. Result of Three ball: First: Russ Adamson, Tom McGrady, Mike Healey 44.4 points £2.00 each Second: Bill Kelleher, Ken Tieszen, Keith Jones 47.4 points Result of Four ball: First: John Slater, Peter Fraser, Peter Taylor, Graham Bryne 39.7 points £5.00 each Second: Mick Carnell, Ralph Howard, Mike Scott, Mike Drake 39.9 points £2.00 each Third: Richard Collier, John Kelty, Tony Owens, Dilly Jones 43.1 points

Captains Report June 2021

Wow, flaming June has come and gone, along with the summer solstice. The warmer weather was a welcome change from the wet month of May. The slightly cooler weather late in June has assisted the green staff in keeping the golf course, especially the greens, in excellent condition. Keep up the good work. The warm weather has resulted in some hot scores in competitions. If you cannot score more than forty odd points, yes, that many, then your chances of winning are limited. Hopefully, the WHS will eventually catch up with the players returning these fantastic scores, if not, the handicap committee will! In the meantime, well done to all the recent winners of the respective board competitions. More congratulations go to our team in the WG Team Handicap Championship who won the regional final held at Holywell Golf Club. The team comprising: Jon Falcus, Justin Bull, Stephen Jones and Aled Bonds will now go forward to the final to be held at Celtic Manor in August. A special mention must go to Andi Jones and Justin Bull for their four rounds of golf in a day in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. I did pass them on the 7th tee during their final round, not surprisingly, they were flagging a little. What a great effort to complete the four rounds. If any member would like to make a contribution to their charity collection, then please leave your donation at golf reception. Thank you to all members who supported the Captains Drive-In. A small band of members managed to witness the captain’s drive with a dodgy driver provided by your Vice-Captain. Luckily, my actual drive off did miss the fairway but stayed inbounds, what a relief. Looking forward, July is another busy month in the club calendar that includes Captains Day, Senior Two-day Challenge and Club Championship. There are still a few tees available for the Captains Day competition that will be a shot gun start. Why not join us on one of the big days in the club calendar? The entry fee includes food and a drink. There will be prizes for Ladies, Seniors and Men, nearest to pin and straightest drive along with optional 2’s and beat the pro competitions. Please sign up for the golf on the sheet provided on the club notice board in the foyer of the clubhouse. I look forward to seeing as many members as possible on what will be a great day of golf, food, drink and of course banter. On Captains’ Day, there will also be a raffle in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. A gentle reminder that should you wish to donate a prize for the raffle then please leave it at golf reception or bring it on the day. Many thanks for supporting this worthy cause. Until next time, take care and enjoy your golf. Dave Palferman Club Captain 2021 dpalferman@gmail.com

Captains drive in July 26th 2021. Report from Dave Palferman.

The Captains Drive-In took place on Saturday 26 July. Unfortunately, due to numerous delays due to the poor weather earlier in the year, combined with Covid-19 restrictions, it was not possible to have the traditional shotgun start. However, that did not deter the many members who participated in the competition. A few lucky members witnessed the Captains drive with a very dodgy driver provided by your Vice-Captain, Don Wraight. Surprisingly, I did mange to hit the ball, even though the ball finished near the 15th green! My formal drive missed the fairway on the left but given the audience I was pleased it was in bounds. Thanks to all those who participated in the competition, your support was greatly appreciated by Lady Captain and myself. The competition was won by an incredible score of 46 Stableford points. A special thanks for Mark and his crew for presenting the course in such a fantastic condition. Going forward, Captains Day will be held on Saturday 10th July. There will be prizes for Ladies, Men and Seniors, plus various optional competitions. There will also be a raffle in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. All prize donations for this worthy cause will be greatly accepted. If you want to play on the day, sign up quickly as places are limited. Thanks in advance for your support. Dave Palferman Captain 2021

Gemini Trophy results from Mike Healey June 29th 2021

Gemini Trophy Result: Another great day for Senior golf at Clays. The earlier tees had a cool start with cloud cover but it cleared and the tail-enders finished in glorious sunshine. The fairways and greens were superb yet again and the ground staff have been working on bunker trimming this week - the whole course was a picture. Only two seniors scored two's on the par threes - Stewart Poole and Dave Fergus both scored their two's on the Fifth. Several new members asked about the format and both partners submitting a medal score combined proved hard for some. 27 pairs submitted cards at the end and there were a number of N/R's. It was extremely competitive at the top however - 8 cards returned scores in the 140's - Ernie Williams /Tony Jackson, Andy Mitchell/Alan Bottomley and Mick Carnell/Dave A Jones all scored 145 points but the winners of the Gemini Trophy today with a magnificent score of 141 points were Chris Jones and Mick McHugh. Congratulations to them both.

Seniors Memorial Day June 24th 2021

A great day for the Seniors. Don Wraight posted Memorial photos on every tee and most of our past colleagues were well remembered. 54 Seniors had strict instructions to turn up on time, collect playing group and proceed around the course with stealth - that's exactly what they did! There were no hold ups at any of the anticipated areas and everybody appeared to be moving quite well. The light drizzle had no effect whatsoever on morale or indeed scoring. Some individuals scored a competent 36 points, but even they missed out because of count back. Senior Captain Barry Dare held a minute's silence in the lounge after the golf and the names of deceased members were read out before the announcement of results. First: Keith Hawthorn 45 points £10.00 and Memorial Trophy Second: Damian Atkin 43 points £9.00 Third: Bob Jarvis 41 points £8.00 Fourth: Brian Beaton 38 points c/b £7.00 Fifth: Don Wraight 38 points c/b £6.00 Sixth: Mick Carnell 38 points c/b £5.00 Seventh: Richard Collier 36 points c/b £4.00 Eighth: Tony Harcombe 36 points c/b £3.00 Ninth: Dave A Jones 36 points c/b £2.00 Some photos courtesy of Don Wraight below

Results from Devon trip at Okehampton via Fred Court 2021

results from Okehampton, as you may be aware, although Fred organised the event he did not travel down him and asked Irwin the look after the group. Due to the uncertainty of Covid, the group reduced from 24 down to 16 which included two guests from the Bristol area. The results have been declared and are as follows in the report from Irwin. Four sunny days then a bit of rain yesterday morning. The scoring was unbelievable. Tony Jackson won the Ramnee with 156 pts and the Forest with net 61,so awarded Forrest to second place who was Stuart Leyland who came in with 45(net 63) points on the Kigbere! Neville Bassett came second in Ramnee with 155 pts but won the 28MA with 11 four pointers! The norm is 2-4 holes with a 4 or better score

Seniors Stableford report from Mike Healey June 17th 2021

Seniors - a long day, partly due to the one tee start and partly due to speed on the course - more later. A good few members declared perfect conditions around the course and the ground staff deserve our praise for that. The 'BBC-threatened' rain did not materialise and the cooler weather was a blessing for golf. 32 intrepid seniors teed off the first and gave the Stableford Qualifier their best shot. Quite a few scores were returned around 34,35, and 36 points - not good enough for the six prizes. Please find result below: Individual Stableford Qualifier First: Jon Falcus 44 points £9.00 Second: Ken Tieszen 43 points £7.00 Third: Ian Ketland 42 points £6.00 Fourth: Colin Brown 39 points £5.00 Fifth: Peter M Jones 38 points £3.00 Sixth: Alan Bottomley 37 points c/b £2.00 one other missed out on 37 c/b

Betterball golf versus Holywell. Report via Malcolm Williams/Mike Healey June 15th 2021

What a fantastic morning of golf we have just had. A superbly organised team by Mal Williams and Tom Pierce, 18 holes of Betterball golf won by Clays Seniors 9-0 (embarrassing!) and a 2 course meal to help us all doze away the afternoon. The weather was superb, the opposition - Holywell - paid us compliments regarding the course and Hayley's cooking - what more can we ask?

Blog Stats as of June 12th 2021

ll Time 133328  Today 15  Yesterday 53  This Month 378  Last Month 947

Shrewsbury Golf Club 4BBB results of Clays Senior members

Overall Third Place Malcolm Williams and Russ Adamson with 40points The following clays members Ernie Williams and Richard Collier came in with 38 points and with the same score Alan Bottomley and Jones Jones. The full results of the competition cand be found on the Shrewsbury Golf Club web site.

St David's Day Trophy Competition June 10th 2021. REPORT from Mike Healey

St David's Day Trophy Competition. A glass was banged on the table and the humdrum noise instantly ceased. It was so nice to meet once again, as a group, upstairs in the bar/restaurant area for refreshment, score resolving, prize giving and most importantly - banter. It was a great atmosphere even if you scored rock bottom of the group. Seniors were once again discussing their seventh and eighth shots to the fifteenth - who cares?? They also commented on the course being in good shape and although cloudy overhead, there was a nice temperature throughout, making a good combination for good golf. That is exactly what we got - close competition with a lot of countback at the top. The "ever so nearly" St David's Day comp was a complete success with no fewer than ten "all welsh" prizes being presented at the end (all organised and purchased by Don Wraight - thank you Don!). The prizes were presented by Senior Captain, Barry Dare and Past Senior Captain, Roy Jones, who generously sponsored the top prize - thank you Roy. The prizes ranged from Penderyn Celt Malt Whiskey, wines, beers, the inevitable golf balls and a wonderful bobble hat with a Welsh dragon on it! Two Seniors managed to shoot "twos" - Richard Collier and Chris Jacques - both received a substantial payout for their efforts (d St David's Day Trophy Result: First: Dave Palferman 41 points

Second: Mike Turner 40 points Third: Brian Beaton 39 points c/b Fourth: Damian Atkin 39 points c/b Fifth: Keith Hawthorn 39 points c/b Sixth: Dave Jones 39 points c/b Seventh: Nigel Davies 39 points c/b Eighth: Tony Jackson 38 points c/b Ninth: Richard Collier 38 points c/b Tenth: Colin Evans 38 points c/b

Winter League Trophy Despite the Winter League Trophy being curtailed by lockdown regulations, we managed to complete two rounds before Xmas. It would be remiss of the Senior committee not to award the Trophy, as one player stood out in the first two rounds. An unassailable lead with 18 points (two second places) meant Don Wraight stepped forward to receive the Winter League Trophy and some wine from Senior Captain, Barry Dare.

Report from Mike Healey June 8th 2021

Mike Healey has just arrived back from a scorching game at Shrewsbury. Sadly it was the weather not my golf!! I will leave it to Tony Harcombe to produce those results. Meanwhile there was serious competition at Clays, albeit for only fifteen participants (therefore only two prizes) and the result was as follows: First: Tony Jackson and Irwin Elkin 45 points £5.00 each Second: Mike Griffiths and Ken Tieszen 41 points (c/b) £3.00 each One other pair had 41 points but missed out on countback

Captains Newsletter June 2021

It is with very little sadness that we say goodbye to the wettest month of May on record in Wales. On a positive note, the wet weather did help the greens recover quickly from their annual maintenance, leaving them looking really good. The greens should be really firm and fast after a few days of intense sunshine. Well done to Mark and his team for getting the course looking great in less-than-ideal weather. I appreciate that it is sometimes frustrating when the course is closed or restrictions are placed on buggies etc. I politely ask everyone to except the decisions of the green staff. Obviously, if the course can be played safely, it will be open. The Captains Drive-In shotgun start was cancelled last year due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was cancelled due to the weather this year. Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone who signed up to support this competition? We had 21 fourballs ready to go. The Captains Drive-In competition will be held, without the shotgun start, on Saturday 26th June. Please book tees in the normal manner via BRS. Despite the weather, we did manage to complete one board competition, the Karen Griffiths Trophy, won by Matt Cairns. Congratulations Matt, your name will be added to the honours board later in the year. There will be further honours board competitions held throughout June. Please support these competitions if you can. Who knows, like Matt, you could get your name on an honours board. A date for your golfing diaries: Captains Day will take place on Saturday 10th July. Keep an eye out for the sign-up sheet that will be placed on the notice board in the clubhouse in the next couple of weeks. This competition will be a shotgun start followed by food and drink, hopefully, in glorious sunshine! Final arrangements will be communicated nearer to the day. Finally, it is with great sadness I note the passing of Ron Roberts. Ron was one of our club’s great characters, with a sharp wit and dry humour, never short of a funny, if cutting, observation. Ron’s presence on the course is already being missed by his many friends. RIP Ron. Enjoy the sunshine and stay safe. Dave Palferman Captain 2021 dpalferman@gmail.com

Handicap message from Fred Court June 2nd 2021

June 3rd.2021. Many thanks to Steve for his report yesterday. So here, after years of playing to certain regulations, we find changes with a new system, sometimes clear and obvious, other times not so clear. Hence in a given situation our long term memory kicks in and we remember and apply procedures no longer valid. This seems to be the case with our basic start in golf, our “Handicap”. In the past we were awarded a handicap which was basically controlled thereafter on individual qualifying scores. Whilst that system was fair within a golf club, it allowed anomalies when comparing one Golf Club to another due to physical differences comparing Clubs. For this reason a “World Handicap System” has been introduced, which theoretically gives each handicap golfer an even opportunity regardless of the golf course in play. So how does the new system work? After submitting witnessed scorecards from 54 holes you are issued with an initial “Handicap Index” up to a maximum of 54.0. Your Handicap Index is the new number for you to remember, which may be adjusted as you submit additional scores from competition or recreational events and eventually formulated with your best 8 scores from your last 20 score input into the system. So remember your “Handicap Index” and check for any changes. Before playing your game you must establish a “Course Handicap” for example most Golf Clubs will have three courses played over the same 18 holes IE, playing from White, Yellow or Red tee markers. Your Course Handicap is established from a list displayed at the golf club. Lookup you’re “Handicap Index” on the table for the Tee’s from which you are playing which indicates a range of indexes on the left and displays a “Course Handicap” in the next column. Remember your course handicap may differ between playing off White, Yellow and/or red Tees. Should you be confident to calculate your “Course Handicap” for 18 holes, the formulae is :- Course Handicap= Handicap Index x (Slope Rating /113) Unfortunately we are not finished here, as we now have to establish our playing handicap as follows:- Playing Handicap = Course Handicap X Handicap allowance. The % allowance will normally be identified within the competition format for example in stroke play 95%. There are other changes allowed into the score system, best left for another occasion. Regards Sheriff.

Seniors 9x3 plus 9x2 competition result from Steve Monk

Needless to say, today the weather was as good as it gets for playing golf, and I know many of today's participants thoroughly enjoyed their game. This includes me - excellent company, what we thought was a good score (!), and many of Barry Evans' finest and certainly oldest jokes. However... to the results. The (9x3) + (9x2) format was played by 40 members, in 10 teams of 4. Scores were quite closely packed but with two separated from the main group - one at each end of the spectrum. Winners were: 1st - Bob Brown, Bob Jarvis, Mick Carnell and Malcolm Williams, scoring a total of 108 points - £5 each. 2nd - Fred Court, Dave A Jones, Mike Drake and Nigel Davies, with 104 points - £3 each. 3rd - Stewart Poole, Colin Evans, Ian Ketland and Neville Bassett, with 102 points - £2 each. Derek hopes to publish some photos taken on the day by Stewart Poole. Derek comments that he does not know how players managed in the heat and humidity. He was sat at home in his conservatory under a fan!!!! Photos below courtesy of Stewart

Welsh Greensome Qualifier May 27th 2021.....result from Mike Healey

Seniors - what a glorious day. The sun arrived as ordered - the course was relatively dry, considering and preferred lies always help the playing situation. The greens were superb and some good scores were returned for the qualifying round in the Welsh Greensomes. The winning pair's details will be forwarded to Golf Wales and also the Runners Up (as a reserve pair). Our Runners Up today unfortunately, are not available for the finals so we will forward the details for our third pair. Today's competition was also organised as a kitty comp - please find result below: Welsh Greensomes Qualifier Result First: Stewart Poole and Damian Atkin 43 points £7.00 each Finalists at Mold Second: Barry Dare and Reg Peacock 41 points £5.00 each Third: Tony Jackson and Bill Kelleher 40 points £4.00 each Reserves for Mold Fourth: Richard Collier and Dave Palferman 38 points £2.00 each The rest of the cards ranged down from 36 points.

Seniors Kitty competition report from Mike Healey May 25th 2021

Report: Have we just completed a circuit without rain? I can't say a complete round because of hole closures and GUR bunkers, but wasn't it pleasant not to put up the umbrellas. Despite some large patches of water around the course, it is drying out nicely and the forecast, looking forward, is in our favour. As if we haven't had enough weather problems recently, the wind was the factor of the day and definitely affected some of the scores. Let's have more wind with some more of today's sun, to sort the course out for the "Summer" - when it arrives. Because of hole closures, the Individual Stableford was declared a standard kitty comp and not a qualifier as such. 42 names went into the draw and the scoring was tight at the top and middle of the comp, resulting in a lot of countback. Please find the winners below. Individual Stableford: First: Dave Palferman (29 points c/b) £10.00 Second: Richard Collier (29 points c/b) £8.00 Third: Colin Evans (29 points c/b) £7.00 Fourth: Colin Brown (29 points c/b) £6.00 Fifth: Alan Bottomley (28 points c/b)£5.00 Sixth: Mike Drake (28 points c/b) £4.00 Seventh: Alan Barnsdale (27 points c/b) £2.00

Seniors events June 2021

Texas Scramble Report from Mike Healey May 20th 2021

Texas Scramble 20th May 36 seniors signed up in advance of the day, which would have been perfect numbers for a scramble but the weather forecast was not confirmed at this stage. No fewer than 5 rang in for one reason or another to cancel their tee and the groups all had to be adjusted. It makes no never mind – 31 brave souls togged themselves up in wet weather gear and set forth for two competitions – 5 x three ball and 4 x four ball. At this point, I unreservedly apologise for sending players out under these conditions for a Scramble. In hindsight, another format might have been warmer with better movement. Conditions on the course were not great from the outset, with preferred lies across the course. Blustery gusts of wind and rain continued with increasing intensity and two groups finished after 9 holes. The majority stuck to their task and here are the results: Three Ball First: Don Wraight, Graham Bryne, Bob Brown score = 60 exact £4.00 each Second: Mike Hollings, Steve Monk, Mike Scott score = 65.92 £1.00 each Other scores: 71.43 and 2 x 9 holes: 35.23 and 38.59 Four Ball First: Alan Barnsdale, Mike Griffiths, Barry Dare, Peter Fraser score = 61.69 £4.00 each Other scores: 62.41, 65.30, 66.57 Well done to all who braved the weather. Watch out for next week's e-mail - Qualifier and Greensomes

Bonus Ball May 13th 2021. Report from Mike Healey

Fellow Seniors - the withdrawal of ride-ons early morning had been accounted for and a contingency plan put into place. It would have left three fourballs in a separate competition. Two no-shows did not help matters leaving one fourball at the end. With members arriving at different times, it was difficult to adjust even further, given the numbers. Prizes always reflect the numbers in the competition so the fourball were the winners of their own competition and receive £1.00 each. Derek - Report: From an organisational point of view, the figures were difficult to arrange today. Contingency plans were in place in anticipation of no buggies, but numbers were still fluid after that. As a result, 33 members contested today's Bonus Ball. The overnight rain materialised and the course was quite damp in places. Light rain was persistent early on but the temperature increased as we got through the round. Four holes were closed, which brought every body back in early. The bonus on lowest score (front 7) proved difficult for some groups but most teams made up for that with bonus on best score (back 7). Result - Bonus Ball First: Mike Scott, Bob Brown, Harold Hughes 110 points £6.00 each Second: Colin Brown, Mike Drake, Peter Fraser 109 points £3.00 each Third: Steve Monk, Peter Bowen, Les Williams 102 points £1.00 each Remaining scores: 101, 101, 99, 95, 94, 90, 86, 85 Fourball - 118 points

Seniors result best 2 scores to count, from Mike Healey May 11th 2021

Today's Report: The course is drying nicely and greens speeding up after the top dressing and work last week. The forecast was accurate, with sunshine and cloud to start with, but the shower that hit us at 1.00pm came from nowhere. It was short but heavy in its delivery. We carried on in the sunshine and all the groups managed to get back to base before the thunder and lightning arrived at 3.00pm. All 54 golfers came through the gate at pace this morning, adjusting to the new timing and the tempo was good throughout. All groups seemed to be flowing and some good scores were recorded. Three players, in particular, will have their individual scores reviewed. The numbers were split into Three Balls and Four Balls. 2 to Count Result: Three Ball Group - First: Damian Atkin, Ian Ketland, Bob Jarvis 90 points £4.00 each Second: Nigel Davies, Fred Court, Ken Tieszen 78 points £2.00 each Remaining scores (73, 72, 71, 70 points) Four Ball Group - First: Tony Jackson, Mick Carnell, Bernard Fildes, Mike Healey 88 points £5.00 each Second: Barry Dare, Barry Evans, Richard Collier, Mike Drake 86 points £3.00 each Third: Dilly Jones, Alan Bottomley, Stuart Leyland, Dave Fergus 79 points(c/b)£1.00 each Remaining scores (79c/b, 78, 78, 73, 73, 66 points)

Seniors Monthly Medal May 6th 2021

Division 1 1. Tony Harcombe 91-21-70 2. Chris Jacques 79-8-71 3. Mike Hollings 92-21-71 Division 2 1. Mike Turner 94-24-70 2. Damian Atkin 95-24-71 3. Mike Jordan 97-25-72 Division 3 1. Peter Bowen 106-36-70 2. Mike Drake 101-29-72 3.Barry Dare 102-28-74 The following players scored a 2 Richard Collier at the 12th and Nigel Davies at th 5th

Seniors Waltz May 4th 2021 Report from Mike Healey

Report: Numbers changed overnight and the groups were re-adjusted into 11 fourballs. The forecast was fairly accurate in that the showers were heavy but we were not expecting their frequency. The track was wet and no fewer than four groups decided on drier quarters after nine holes. Congratulations to the remaining seven groups who braved the full 18 holes. Hayley made tentative enquiries as to whether the seniors would sit out afterwards for sandwiches and coffee but I think she knew the answer. She did however, describe you as "hardcore". Well done to all finishers - both 9 and 18 holes. The Waltz result stands as below: First: Graham Bryne, Neville Bassett, Tony Owens, Richard Collier - 79 points (£6.00 each) Second: Dave Palferman, Peter Thomas, Coiln Evans, Steve Monk - 75 points c/b (£3.00 each) Third: Don Wraight, Bill Kelleher, Bernard Fildes, Ken Tieszen - 75 points c/b (£2.00 each)

Captains Newsletter April 2021

April has seen the continued relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions and with it a slow return to a new normal. We have been blessed with some recent good weather that has allowed the green keepers to make good progress with their planned course maintenance work on the greens. Importantly for our stomachs, Hayley is back doing outside catering. Typically, my first bacon bap and coffee were consumed sat under an umbrella in the rain! With the return of fourballs, we are able to re-start qualifying competitions under the new World Handicap System (WHS). I’m looking forward to seeing how the new system works in practice. Early indications, from my own experience, is that handicaps move quickly, not necessarily in the right direction! Our first qualifying competition for the men, off white tees, was the Welsh Golfing Union (WGU) Handicap Team Qualifier. Thanks to all those who participated. You will be pleased to learn that more than 40 members played in this competition, as a consequence, we are able to enter two teams of four into the regional final. The top two teams from the regional final qualify for the national final to be held at Celtic Manor. I do not have details of the venue and date of the regional final at this time. Therefore, subject to availability, the two teams are as follows: Team 1: Gareth Roberts, Kevin Jones, Daniel Goodall, Terance Bull Team 2: Richard Collier, Jonathan Falcus, Stephen Jones, Justin Bull A polite request from our Hon. Treasurer & Lady Captain Christine. When making an electronic payment into the members bank account, please ensure you use the payment reference to indicate the purpose of the payment. If the space provided for the reference is too small to make a clear abbreviation of the payment purpose, then please email Christine with an explanation (evanspac@googlemail.com). All members should have received a message from management about membership fees being due for payment. Similarly, membership levies for those who wish to hold an official handicap are also due from 1st May. However, Covid-19 has complicated matters. Wales Golf have delayed payment and the DGU are not collecting levies this year. What this means is that those members who held a club handicap for the 2020 season will only need to pay the £15 club levy. Those members who are new to the club, or existing members who did not have a handicap in the 2020 season but now wish to obtain one, will need to pay £30. All payments should be made into the members bank account, preferably via bank transfer. For those members who do not have online banking facilities please leave a cheque for the appropriate amount in an envelope, marked for the attention of Christine Evans, at golf reception. Banking details as follows: Account name: Clays Golf Club Sort code: 40-47-26 Account No.42557584 Ref: Levies I am pleased to announce the election of a new Hon. Secretary Shan Shapley. Shan will join the Club Council at the end of this month. Also, congratulations to Shan for winning the Ladies Challenge Bowl for the second year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our previous Hon. Secretary, Dave Riley for his contribution to the club over many years. Dave has held a number of positions on the Club Council including Club Captain. Unfortunately for us, Dave has decided to take a break from golf and focus on other hobbies. Hopefully, we will see Dave back at our club in the not-too-distant future. Finally, it is nearly time for the Captains Drive In. Normally, this is the first event of the season, but we are not living in normal times. Therefore, the competition will take place on Saturday 22nd May. There will be a get together of some description on the first tee at 9.30am followed by a shotgun start at 10.00. A sign-up sheet has been placed on the notice board in the foyer of the clubhouse. Final arrangement for the day will be sent out a few days prior to the competition. Enjoy your golf and stay safe. Dave Palferman Captain 2021 dpalferman@gmail.com

Seniors Yellow ball April 29th 2021...report via Mike Healey

Report: Once again a fantastic number for the Yellow Ball (53) and nearly all turned up on time. There were questions about the format but everybody soon got into the swing of things. Quite a few struggled with the putting today but the ground staff were working on the greens during the afternoon and a good down pour would also help the distribution of the sand. Weather-wise, we experienced mixed conditions - sunshine and light showers but towards the end the temperatures dropped quite rapidly and the tail-enders suffered a little from the cold. Because the numbers changed, we finished with 6 x four-balls and 9 x three-balls, which altered the prize money. Please find results below: Yellow Ball 29th April Four- balls: 1st: Derek Jones, Rodney Evans, Bob Jarvis, Mike Scott (174 points) £4.00 each 2nd: Tom Pierce, David Jones, Harold Hughes, Irwin Elkin (165 points) £2.00 each Three-Balls: 1st: Barry Dare, Barry Evans, Mike Parkes (144 points) £5.00 each 2nd: Colin Brown, Richard Collier, Ralph Howard (141 points) £3.00 each 3rd: Mike Drake, Peter Taylor, Ernie Williams (139 points) £1.00 each

Lockdown kitty competition April 27th. Report via Mike Healey

Report - A record number of members turned out today for the Out of Lockdown Stableford Kitty Comp. 54 members were obviously chomping at the bit, all turned out on time to do battle and some great scores were returned in the clubhouse. The threat of rain turned into a drizzle and the battles continued. On the scoring side no fewer than 12 players registered 34 and 35 points. Two members - Keith Jones and Colin Brown registered 36 points but just missed out on prizes because of countback. There were 9 prizes in total - see below 1. Damian Atkin 41 pts count back 2. Dave Talbot 41pts countback 3. Peter Thomas 40 pts 4. Alan Bottomley 39 pts 5. Mike Drake 38 pts countback 6. Mike Turner 38 pts countback 7. Stewart Poole 37 pts 8. Barry Evans 36 pts countback 9. Barry Dare 36pts countback

Seniors Events May 2021

SENIORS COMPETITIONS MAY 2021 DATE KITTY COMPS – in BLUE COMMENTS OTHER COMPS – in BLACK Tuesday May 4th WALTZ (1) Thursday May 6th MAY MEDAL (Men - White Tees; Ladies - Red) plus 9-HOLE COMPETITION Book in advance with Don Tuesday May 11th BEST 2 SCORES TO COUNT (1) Thursday May 13th BONUS BALL (1) Tuesday May 18th GEMINI TROPHY Played in Pairs. Both Medal scores to count. Thursday May 20th "9 x 3" plus "9 x 2"(1) Tuesday May 25th TEXAS SCRAMBLE (1) Thursday May 27th GUW SENIOR GREENSOMES CLAYS QUALIFYING Choose own partners - Sign up will appear on Noticeboard Tuesday Jun 1st PAIRS BETTERBALL (1) Thursday Jun 3rd JUNE MEDAL (Men - White Tees; Ladies - Red) plus 9-HOLE COMPETITION Book in advance on Seniors Notice Board. See Don or reception for late entries.

Easter Sunday April 4th. Photos from Stewart Poole

Captains Newsletter March 2021

Welcome to, what I sincerely hope is, the last newsletter of the Covid-19 shutdown era. With restrictions being slowly lifted, we should be back to playing in four balls and full competitions before the end of April. Please keep a look out for BRS messages providing details on how to enter the board competitions. While we are compelled to play mainly as two balls, tee times are limited. If you are unable to make your booked tee time, please, out of respect for your fellow members, call golf reception or use BRS to cancel your reservation. Following on from my previous newsletter, I can now confirm members of the Club Council for the coming golfing year, as follows: Club President: Gareth Roberts Club/Mens Captain: Dave Palferman Club/Mens Vice-Captain: Don Wraight Ladies Captain: Christine Evans Ladies Vice-Captain: Julie Hanmer-Price Senior Captain: Barry Dare Handicap Secretary: Peter Bowen / Irwin Elkin Competition Secretary: Paul Lloyd Junior Organiser: Josh Green Hon. Treasurer: Christine Evans Hon. Secretary: Vacant Management Rep: Josh Green Please note, the position of Hon. Secretary is vacant. This is an important position on Council, giving the post holder full voting rights. Therefore, the post holder can influence the future direction of our members section. The position attracts an honorarium to cover expenses. Interested? Please contact me directly. The club AGM will be arranged as soon as we are able to meet in-doors in sufficient numbers. As required by our constitution, a notice in respect to the AGM will be posted on the notice board one month prior to the agreed meeting date. Finally, I would like to thank Steve Monk and Irwin Elkin for volunteering, or accepting being volunteered, to update the Club Constitution to take account of the World Handicap System. Until next time, enjoy your golf and stay safe. Dave Palferman Club Captain 2021 dpalferman@gmail.com

Update on the course from Josh March 13th 2021

I am very pleased to tell you that as of tomorrow, we can safely re-open our 18 Hole Golf Course, Putting Green and Driving Range to both members and visitors. The Welsh Government have now changed the COVID-19 alert level from Tier 4 to Tier 3 with the ‘Stay Local’ rule now in place. It is down to you as member or visitor to determine whether you are within the ‘Stay Local’ category when visiting us. We have now updated our COVID-19 update page on our website aswell as our COVID-19 golf course guidance which gives you further information on which facilities are open, permitted groupings on the golf course and procedures when you turn up for your tee time or using the driving range. Simply click on the links below to view the guidance... COVID-19 Updates https://claysgolf.co.uk/coronavirus/ COVID-19 Golf Course Booking Guidance https://claysgolf.co.uk/booking/ For everyone’s safety please ensure you read and adhere to the guidance that we have set out so that we can continue to promote a safe environment for playing golf at Clays. If you have any questions regarding the guidance please email enquiries@claysgolf.co.uk. Bookings Tomorrow Myself and Mark have today inspected the golf course. The course is looking in great condition for this time of year however it still remains very wet from the bad weather that it has endured over the last few days. We are trying our best to get a number of holes open for the weekend to avoid disappointing you after such a long period away. Therefore, a further course inspection will take place at 6.30am on Saturday morning and an email will be issued at 7am. Buggies and single ride on's will NOT be permitted this weekend. Please could you also consider using a carry bag where possible. There are number of bookings on the tee sheet for the coming weeks that are in three and four balls which are outside the permitted groupings. Please ensure you amend and remove the additional players on your tee time bookings so that they are within the permitted groupings set out by Welsh Government. Thank you for supporting us throughout the start of 2021 and we look forward to seeing you again soon for your round of golf or visit to the driving range. Stay safe and let’s hope we have a fantastic summer of golf. Kindest regards, Josh, General Manager Unfortunatly due to heavy overnight rain the course was closed on Saturday March 13th

Captains Newsletter February 2021

At last, the end of the long Covid-19 tunnel is in sight. With luck, we should be able to play golf again by Easter or possibly even late March. Therefore, it is now time to find your golf clubs and give them a clean and polish. In a further sign of a return to a new normal. The Denbighshire Golfing Union (DGU) have announced the re-instatement of the Jubilee Plate and Inter-Club League competitions. As a reminder, the Jubilee Plate is a pairs competition, for full (male) members on a knock-out basis with a maximum handicap of 24. The entrance fee remains the same at £10.00 per pair with the participating names to be submitted to the DGU by April 10th We would normally organise a qualifying competition, but present circumstances preclude this, so, we will simply forward a maximum of 15 pairs. Details on how to sign-up for this competition will be communicated via a BRS message in the near future. The Inter-Club League comprises of teams of 8 pairs, again with handicap limit of 24. Irrespective of previous results and bearing in mind the Covid problem, the competition will be arranged on a regional basis of East and West of the County (5 in each group) with 4 matches of 2 home and 2 away. At present we would not envisage any meals after the matches. Again, details on how to sign-up for this league competition will be communicated in the near future. The Club Council have continued to meet virtually during the various Covid lockdowns. Due to the exceptional circumstances, Council decided to ask current club officials to stay in post for a further term of office. Thankfully, all officers have agreed. In addition, we have a nomination for a new Ladies Vice-Captain in Julie Hamer-Price, proposed by Lady Captain, seconded by Marian Williams. Therefore, the only vacant post remains that of Honorary Club Secretary. Please contact me directly if you wish to be considered for this important position. These appointments, in normal circumstances, would be confirmed at the AGM scheduled for 27th March. Clearly the AGM will be delayed. Can I ask, if any member objects to what has been agreed by Council, they contact me directly outlining their objections? Finally, I look forward to seeing you all back at Clays roaming the fairways in the very near future. Stay safe. Dave Palferman Captain 2020/1 dpalferman@gmail.com