Seniors putting competition November 7th 2023. Report via Mike Healey

What a very sociable morning the senior group have just had. The course was almost opened this morning by Mark but the inevitable overnight rain caused the damage and we were once again thwarted. It mattered not, there was a contingency plan. 18 seniors arrived for 9.00am and enjoyed a good hour of putting in the indoor studio. Three laps of the small, short course eeked out the hour and it became very competitive indeed, so much so that a play-off was required. A few of the photos... may follow. The ubiquitous £1.00 was thrown into a kitty and the proceeds divided into four prizes. Hayley arrived on cue to make bacon baps with coffee for everyone and those present whiled away yet another convivial hour. Winners of today's putting were: First: Mick Carnell (31 putts) Second: Bob Brown (32 putts) With 33 putts Bill Kelleher, Barry Evans and Peter Taylor faced a play-off for the remaining 2 prizes. Third: Bill Kelleher and Fourth: Barry Evans - Peter Taylor missed out after the second hole play-off.

Seniors 2 scores to count. Report from Mike Healey along with other news 0ctober 31st 2023

Seniors - as you all know, I keep a weather eye before competitions and report conditions along with the golf scores. Having listened to the overnight rain at home and further, reading about the hole closures this morning, I did not expect so many members to turn up. No less than 34 seniors threw their tallies into the draw for a Two Scores to Count competition. We had to split into 2 groups of Three- and Fourballs with 2 prizes for the threes and 1 prize for the fourballs. The course was always going to be damp and going was heavy but we persevered. The competition was followed by the Senior Committee's last meeting of the year, preceding our AGM (Reminder - Tuesday 5th December - place in diaries) so I am indebted to Bob Brown for overseeing the incoming cards, scores and distributing the prize money at the end. Please find scores and winners below and read on for more admin/information: Threeballs - Two to Count: First: Mal Williams, Ernie Williams and Mike Healey - 59 points Second: Barry Dare, Graham Wright and Mike Drake - 48 points Fourballs - Two to Count: First: Andy Mitchell, Bill Kelleher, Tony Harcombe and Mick Carnell - 54 points I have mentioned ground conditions above and we are lucky that the course is currently open, with many around us being closed today. The next storm to hit GB is due tomorrow night (Wednesday) with the likelihood of either ground closure or extremely heavy ground as a result. Because of the forecast, we have postponed the November Medal until Thursday 23rd November (2 weeks hence). Should the course be open this Thursday, a kitty comp will be arranged for the numbers that arrive. Next - Thursday 9th November is scheduled to be our Ken Lawrence Memorial Trophy. There will be a tally draw as normal and the competition is an Individual Stableford. The competition is held annually on behalf of the Royal British Legion and all of your entry fees go to the National Poppy Day Appeal. We have set a fee of £5.00 but if you feel generous and would like to give more - feel free. All fees will be collected in reception The AGM is already in your diary (Tuesday 5th December) and it is this time of year that we look to nominate a new committee. The nomination form will be posted this week and you will see familiar names of committee members who are prepared to stand once again in their current role. There will be, however, a number of resignations, so the form will have spaces for new nominations to be voted onto the committee. Conversations have been had with a number of individuals but it is up to those members to find a proposer and seconder if they are interested in contributing to the work of the committee. Xmas Party - In order to finalise all the arrangements for pre-party golf, table plans/seating, food and wine orders, etc. it is imperative (should you wish to be present on Tuesday 12th December) that you sign up for the morning golf (if you wish - not compulsory) and more importantly, give your £15.00 to Steve Monk as soon as possible (with your Annual Subs - £5.00 - if you haven't already done so.)

Captains News letter October 2023

Captain’s Newsletter: October 2023 Unfortunately, the weather has not been kind to us resulting in the closure of the course for one of the final events of the calendar year the Presentation Day. The morning Texas scramble had to be called off, so we made a late decision to change the time of the presentation ceremony to ten o clock. My thanks to everyone who turned up to celebrate with the winners and runners up. Big thanks also to all members who participated in the presentation day prize giving. Competitions Fantastic result for our DGU team winning their final match against Abergele 6 ½ 1 ½ which means we are top of League once again. Congratulations to Patrick our DGU captain on picking a winning team. Patrick will be presented with the DGU winners trophy later in the year. Ladies Captain, s Report In our final Club event of the season we were able to celebrate the achievements of our Competition winners at a quickly rescheduled Presentation event. I would like, once again, to take this opportunity to thank everyone for entering the Competitions and to convey my warmest congratulations to all those who were successful and to thank everyone for supporting the event at short notice. Jane Evans and Beverley Hood reported that they had a great weekend at St. Pierre Golf Club in Chepstow, having reached the final 16 in the Daily Mail Foursomes Competition. Sadly on this occasion however they were not able to progress through any further rounds. We all recognise that this was a huge achievement to have successfully reached this stage and thank you for representing The Club in such a prestigious competition. In the Purves Cup, a North Wales wide competition, the Finals were played at Abergele Golf Club against a pair from Mold Golf Club. I am delighted to announce that Jane Evans and partner (modesty forebids naming) won this competition. The Presentation of the trophy is in early November at North Wales Golf Club. In our recent Tri match against Llanymynech and Mile End, I am pleased to report that this was won by Clays Ladies Team who retained the trophy with an outstanding win. The Llanymynerch course was new to many of the team and the match was played in challenging weather conditions, which I understand is not unusual! Now that the main competition season has ended, a winter calendar of golf has been drawn up with a plan to play a mixture of kitty team and individual 9 hole competitions in the Ladies Section. It is hoped that the scheduled formats will encourage as many of us as possible to play on a Wednesday and keep the Section integrated and in touch over the winter months. It is great news that Mark and his team have commenced work to raise and level some of the ladies tees which will be an ongoing programme over the next year. Poor weather delayed the start of the work initially but now Hole 4 and Hole 15 have been started though further heavy rain has hampered any further progress. I would like to thank Mr Lewis, Mark and his team for making this improvement on the course and fellow golfers who gave up their time to help with this project. A report regarding the recent reassessment of the course slope rating has been received by Management. It has indicated in particular a significant change in the ladies course slope rating the implications of which are not yet fully understood. I understand that Management have queried some of the recommendations in the report and requested validation of the points raised and are awaiting a response. Josh has advised that once all the information is available to him he will notify Club Members of any changes and if any, forthcoming implications. It is hard to believe that our Ladies Christmas party preceded by a 9 hole kitty competition of 3 clubs and a putter which is scheduled for December 3rd, is rapidly approaching. We have a series of kitty league competitions running up to this event and I am pleased that many ladies are able to attend the event. The calendar for the 2024 season is being finalised and as with other sections of the Club we are in the process of scheduling NWLCSA, exchange days etc for 2024. It is anticipated that the Club calendar for all Sections will be available to view by the end of December. Hopefully this will give all Members a chance to make plans for 2024. My thanks to Lady Vice Captain, Shan Stapley for organising an overnight golfing trip to Nefyn in late March. Many ladies have already signed up for this and will be a great date in the diary to look forward to after the winter months. Finally plans for The Captains Last Supper are currently under way , so there is an advance save the date for Friday March 22nd. We hope to be able to confirm arrangements for this shortly. Thank you to Lady Vice Captain Shan and all the ladies for your continued support and help, Sue Falcus (Lady Captain) And finally from me… The White tees have been put away for the winter this doesn’t mean companions are over , Keep an eye out for turkey trot comps. where turkeys and wines are on offer. On the 9th of November the seniors section will hold their annual memorial day compaction looking further ahead captains last supper well be on 22nd of March a date for your Calander . So until next time enjoy your golf, fingers crossed the weather will get a bit dryer soon Kind Regards, Michael McHugh (Club Captain)

Pinehurst competition October October 26th 2023. Report from Mike Healey.

Today's competition - Pinehurst. This format was borrowed from the Pinehurst GC in North Carolina. It was invented by a Mr Chapman and it sometimes goes by that name also. So, 28 Seniors braved the early rain, which had virtually disppeared just after 9.00am. Having their tallies drawn in pairs, there was some intrigue as to the actual format and after a lengthy explanation, the troops set forth to try their luck and know-how. Swapping second shots confused a few, but alternate shots to the green seemed to settle everybody down, with group movement flowing nicely. Ground conditions, following a week of rain, is still affecting scores for the majority but not for today's four winning groups, although combined handicaps in some cases, came into question. There was a buzz in the clubhouse afterwards and it was generally agreed that the format was not only entertaining but also involved a little thought regarding tactics. At the top of the scoring there was some countback required - please read on for the four winning pairs: Pinehurst Results: First: Paul Wallace-Jones and Ernie Williams - 31 points (c/b) Second: Alan Barnsdale and Peter Taylor - 31 points (c/b) Third: Nigel Davies and Damian Atkin - 31 points (c/b) Fourth: Richard Collier and Mick Carnell - 30 points

Individual Stableford over 13 holes October 24th 2023. Report from Steve Monk

23 of us turned up today to play an individual stableford kitty competition. 13 holes were open, including a shortened par 3 1st, and although the ground was naturally soft following the weekend rains, the course and especially the greens maintained their good playing quality. Plus, despite a somewhat adverse forecast, the weather stayed dry and warmish and so we had very pleasant conditions in which to play. Five prizes were on offer today and the winners of them were: 1st - Alan Barnsdale with 29 points 2nd - Stuart Leyland with 27 points 3rd - Peter Lord with 26 points 4th - Steve Monk with 25 points 5th - Mick Carnell with 24 points

Seniors Individual Stableford October 19th 2023. Report from Steve Monk.

So, today's competition was scheduled to be a '9 x 3' + '9 x 2' event. I was thinking of changing this to a Bonus Ball to avoid a similar comp to the Waltz played on Tuesday, but it turned out that we played an individual stableford competition as we had only 11 players. I think the weather forecast put most people off, and there had been significant overnight rain which made some of the surfaces squelchy and even waterlogged. However, enough of the holes were playable for Mark to keep the course open for us. The weather forecast turned out to be incorrect and we played an enjoyable round in warm and mostly sunny weather - with no rain at all. Results were: 1st - Bob Jarvis with 30 points (on countback). 2nd - Mick Carnell, also with 30 points. 3rd - Nigel Davies with 29 points. There were also 2 x cards of 28 and 1 of 27, so competition at the top was close. Steve Monk

Waltz competition October 17th 2023. Report from Steve Monk

The game was a Waltz today, and between 8.40 and 8.45 we were going to run this 3 ways. At 8.40 we had 27 players, so nine 3-balls. At 8.42, we had 28, so seven 4-balls. At 8.43, we had 29 - one of those awkward numbers of players. However, despite the derision and tut-tut's to the last player to arrive, everyone is always welcome and of course, the more the merrier! So we ended up with 3 x 3-balls and 5 x 4-balls, playing as two separate competitions. Holes 2, 16 and 17 were closed due to the rain over the previous few days. Hole 1 was played as a par 3, but the other 14 holes were fully open so the game was played over the 15 holes available to us. Despite a chilly start, the temperature rose steadily and the day turned out to be perfect for golf - not even a gentle breeze was blowing. Results were: 3-balls - 1st - David 'Mole' Jones; Liam Roddis and Peter Lord with 56 points. 4-balls - 1st - Tony Jackson; Tony Harcombe; Mick Carnell and Neil Jones with 67 points. 2nd - Richard Collier; Ian Ketland; Neil Gledhill and Peter Fraser with 66 points.

Mile End Open results showing Clays members

2nd Place: Eric Thwaites & Peter Fraser 3rd Place: Nev Bassett & Mal Williams Near Pin 3rd : Eric Thwaites Twos: Mike Holling & Colin Brown Hole 3rd Clive Davies & Richard Collier Hole 17th Dave Jones & Alan Bottomley Hole 7th Eric Thwaites & Sean McMcarthy Hole 3rd

Individual Stableford October 12th 2023. Report from Mike Healey and Steve Monk

For those that made Clays yesterday, Mike received the following report from Steve and remains in his debt for overseeing the kitty comp. "The plan was to run a Bonus Ball competition, but due to a combination of the course being slightly reduced due to waterlogging, plus the fact many seniors played yesterday and received a thorough soaking in atrocious conditions at the Mile End Open, only 10 turned up today for our kitty competition. Consequently those of us present decided to play an individual stableford competition instead of the Bonus Ball, with everyone being able to start from the 1st tee. The 1st hole was down to a shortened par 3 and the 16th and 17th holes were closed completely. Other than these reductions, the course played remarkably well considering how much rain it received yesterday." Well done to all who turned up, especially the three winners. Also, please read footnote below. Results were as follows: Individual Stableford Results: 1st - Alan Barnsdale, with 34 points. 2nd - Mick Carnell, with 27 points. 3rd - Bob Jarvis, with 25 points (c/b).

Texas SHAMBLE report from Mike Healey October 10th 2023

Today we visited an oddball format which was initiated on the calendar last year. Our Texas Shamble required everybody to drive (5 drives each choosing best drive) and then all team members played out their own ball for a stableford score, with the best two counting for the team. Nearly everybody found the format enjoyable and given 30 players in the draw, 10 x threeballs worked well again from an organisational point of view. There were a few delays because of leaves but it is just that time of year. The scores were nearly all within 10 points of each other, so a fairly close format at the end of the day. There were three prizes in total: Texas Shamble Result: First: Nigel Davies, Jon Falcus and Bill Kelleher - 85 points Second: Tony Jackson, Andy Mitchell and Steve Monk - 82 points Third: Graham Wright, Mike Hollings and Neil Gledhill - 80 points

SENIORS MEDAL OCTOBER 5TH 2023. REPORT VIA MIKE HEALEY

Mike Healey had an awayday at Caldy today and it would appear that he had the better deal weatherwise. Looking through the division lists for the medal - all numbers were down. I know that quite a few seniors have gone off on holiday this week and there are a few absences for other reasons. I also suspect that the forecast might have made decisions for one or two. Speaking to my ground reporter, those that did play, experienced a rather damp morning to say the least. The rain was more persistent than intermittent but in general, arriving in heavy bursts. That is never a pleasant situation to play in, combined with autumn leaves and heavy ground. I believe the first hole was also shortened because of conditions and with one or two exceptions, the scores reflected the state of play in general. There were two x 2's scored during the competition - Richard Collier on the shortened 1st hole and Reg Peacock on the 5th hole. Well done to them. All the results are on ig but here are the three winners from each division: October Medal: Division 1: First: Richard Collier - 39 points Second: Bill Kelleher - 38 points Third: Keith Hawthorn - 37 points (Andy Mitchell carded 37 points but was beaten on countback) Division 2: First: Reg Peacock - 36 points Second: Graham Bryne - 29 points (c/b) Third: Mike Hollings - 29 points (c/b) Division 3: First: Bob Jarvis - 33 points Second: Billy Spilsted - 31 points (c/b) Third: Peter Martin Jones - 31 points (c/b)

Pairs Betterball October 3rd 2023 report via Mike Healey

Before the results from today, your committee held their monthly meeting after the golf and as usual, the minutes will be printed and posted on the noticeboard. During today's meeting, our Senior AGM (Tuesday 5th December) came under discussion and I have been asked to give you advance notice that two members of the current committee will be retiring. We are therefore looking to recruit replacements. A proposal sheet will appear well in advance of the AGM and nominations need to be made before Tuesday 7th November for any candidates who feel they can be of service to the senior membership and would be willing to fulfil one of the roles. In the meantime, feel free to discuss any of the committee positions with any of the current committee officers. Pairs Betterball - 32 senior players (perfect number) arrived for our pairs competition this morning. The weather held and warm sunny conditions were pleasant enough to play in. However, I'm sure all courses are undergoing the same process as us with ball hunting. The fallen and falling leaves added quite a few minutes to our recently well-timed competitions, with the result that some members had to go straight away after the golf. There were four prizes in total with quite a few cards requiring countback: Pairs Betterball: First: Nigel Davies and Richard Collier - 38 points Second: Chris Blazdell and Bob Brown - 37 points Third: Jon Falcus and George Hughes - 36 points (c/b) Fourth: Ernie Williams and Mike Healey - 36 points (c/b) (Alan Bottomley and Andy Mitchell) (Graham Bryne and Keith Hawthorn) - both teams had 36 points also but lost out on countback.

DGU Autumn meeting at Llangollen. Report via Alan Pocklington.

Great News for Clays Members (again!). Clays entered 15 pairs for the DGU Autumn Meeting at Llangollen. We took 4 of the top 5 places. This is a fabulous result, stunning even. This follows our excellent results at the previous DGU Event in August at Wrexham, and shows just how strong our Clays players are. Winners Adam Jones & Mike Jones Runners Up Alan Barnsdale & Ernie Williams 3rd place M Shaw & C Jones ( Wrexham) 4th place James Houston & Paul Stevenson 5th place Nigel Davies & Kieron Parry WE ALSO GOT 6TH PLACE! A superb end to the DGU season, and congratulations to all of the above pairs, but especially to the winners Adam & Mike Jones. Envelopes are already in reception. Thanks to the other entrants as well. Your turn will come next season. Alan Pocklington Competitions Secretary

Yellow Ball competition September 28th 2023. Report from Mike Healey

Where was Agnes? She simply did not appear, leaving us a pleasant morning for our Yellow Ball competition. 28 members signing in gave us 7 x fourballs and was perfect for our 4,5,4,5 format. Having avoided both wind and rain, our next problem was leaves. I am assured that the groundstaff have already had blowers out, including this morning but there was necessity for ball hunting on numerous occasions.We will have to deal with this over the forthcoming weeks and make the most of the autumn weather. The October calendar will be released this weekend with one change already. Next Tuesday (3rd Oct) will be a Pairs Betterball instead of Pairs - Both to Count. Back to today - the score varied due to certain groups losing their Yellow Ball and the cognescenti all know what that means. We did not hold a ballsweep and there were two prizes in total: Yellow Ball Result: First: Richard Collier, Steve Monk, Ian Ketland and Alan Barnsdale - 164 points Second: Stuart Miles, Barry Evans, Bill Kelleher and Alan Bottomley - 157 points Jon Falcus, Mike Drake, Damian Atkin and Don Wraight came a close third with 155 points.

Captains Newsletter September 2023

Captain's Newsletter: September 2023 Competitions September has begun with the conclusion of this seasons honours board competitions on finals weekend. A big thanks to all those who entered the various competitions. Congratulations to all those who progressed to the finals especially the winners. There was some very good golf played with a number of matches decided on the 18th. The Team Handicap Championship Finals were held on September 3rd at Celtic Manor. Both Clays Golf Teams qualified for this Final, so the Denbighshire Golfing union was represented entirely by Clays Golf. This is a terrific achievement and shows the quality of players that we have at Clays. Both Clays teams put in a good solid performance. Clays 2 with Kevin Wyn Jones, Andrew Cairns, Ernie Williams and Chris McAteer finished in 5th place. Clays 1 with Iqbal Shergill, Paul Hardy, Matthew Tennant and Richard Collier finished in 11th position. This was an all Wales Competition with 20 team entries these are both very good results. The winners were Celtic Manor, with the runners up being their neighbours from St Pierre. Many thanks to all our players for representing both Clays and the DGU. The DGU Autumn Meeting at Llangollen was also very well represented ,with15 teams from Clays. Well done to Clays for taking 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th places with some fantastic scores A.M. Joans & M.D. Jones with 48points. A Barnsdale & E Williams with 46 points J.Houston & P Stevenson 43 points, N.Davies & K.Parry also 43points FINALS Weekend 2023 Results Seniors Pairs Knockout Alan Barnsdale and Mike Healey beat Neville Bassett and David Fergus Clays Challenge Cup Aaron Jones beat Richard Collier Scratch Cup Iwan Bonds beat Kevin Scaife JCB Shield Kieron Parry beat Phil Barry Jones Seniors Matchplay Championship Neville Bassett beat Michael McHugh Abershield Trophy Richard Evans beat Mike Healey Ladies Betterball Jayne Gibson & Angela Thomas- Williams beat Christine Evans & Shan Stapley Mixed Foursomes Graham Davidson- Clarke & Jane Mary Evans beat Jayne Gibson and Mike D Jones Flick Cup Phil Barry Jones & Anthony McAllister beat Alan Barnsdale & Mike Healey Aber Rose Bowl Jane Mary Evans beat Jayne Gibson Gem Trophy Still to be played My thanks go to all the contestants, even those who got knocked out in the first round, for the good spirit in which all the matches were played. Thanks also to the organisers who turned out on the day to welcome the contestants. Coming up: Sun.Oct.8th. Clays v Abergele DGU match Sat. Oct 14th Presentation day (Texas Scramble) Shotgun start. Ladies Captain, s Repor August was yet again a very busy month in the golfing calendar in the Ladies Section. Aside of our usual Medal and Stableford competitions we had our Captains Charity Day and Presidents Day and I am pleased to report that an increasing number of ladies from the Section were able to participate. During the month The Welsh Dragons Brooch a sponsored competition by Wales Golf was won by Jane Evans and as per tradition the brooch will be presented to her at The Ladies Christmas Party. At our exchange Day at Denbigh on Tuesday 29th August, 11 ladies enjoyed the opportunity to play this well maintained and picturesque course and once again we received a warm welcome and great hospitality from the Denbigh ladies. At their return visit the following day 31 ladies attended Clays Golf Club. They were very complimentary about the course and are really looking forward to a return visit next year. Following their round they were able to enjoy a 2 course meal in the Clubhouse. Most of the Finals Honours Board competitions were played around the weekend of September 2nd/3 rd congratulations to all winners, Angela Thomas Williams and Jayne Gibson in The Ladies Betterball, Jane Evans and Graham Davidson Clarke on their success in the Mixed Foursomes and Jane Evans in the Aber Rose Bowl. I would like to congratulate all those golfers who played in the Finals and applaud their achievement in reaching this stage of the Competitions. During September we have our final Honours Board Competition The Allington Hughes Salver which hopefully will be concluded this week. An annual Tri match between Mile End and Llanymynech to be played on October 6th at Llanymynech is our final competition of the season and we are fielding a full team to hopefully retain the trophy. I am delighted to report that Jane Evans and Beverley Hood have reached the last sixteen in Daily Mail Competition and are due to play the final rounds at St Pierre Golf and Country Club in Chepstow from Sunday 8th October through to Tuesday 10th October. On behalf of us all we wish you both the best of luck. Also in the Purves Cup Jane and I have reached the finals which is scheduled this weekend at Abergele. The raising and levelling of a number of the ladies tees by Mark and his team is scheduled to start at the end of September. Several tees have been initially identified at Hole 4, Hole 10, Hole 15 and possibly Hole 7. The remaining tees will be addressed next year, Hole 9 and Hole 17. Still to come in the Golfing Calendar is the Texas scramble planned for Presentation Day. We hope that as many of you as possible will support the competition and share in the celebrations as the Trophies are presented to our winners of 2023. Hopefully there is still plenty of golf to be played, the course is in amazing condition and we thank Mark and his team of Greenkeepers for all their hard work, Sue Falcus (Lady Captain) And finally from me… The season is not quite over, there are still a few events scheduled for October. Good luck to Patrick and The DGU team for their match Clays V Abergele on 8th of Oct. Presentation day on Saturday14th. please would all finalists do their best to attend the presentation which will take place at approximately 2pm.please can as many members as possible to come along to congratulate the finalists. Can I also ask if you are a trophy winner and you are unable to attend the presentation would you please let myself or one of the committee members know. Last but not least apologies for failing to mention in my last newsletter the winner of County Captains day Senior Stableford Champion Tom Pierce with 41 points Well done Tom. Enjoy your golf everyone Kind Regards, Michael McHugh (Club Captain) Return to News Page

Not quite the Ryder Cup. September 26th 2023. Report via Mike Healey

Seniors - Keeping fingers crossed over the weekend seemed to do the trick with the weather gods. The showers did not show and breezy warm conditions were the order of the day. Our "Not Quite the Ryder Cup" event has once again been held at the end of the golf competition season with resounding success. Ernie Williams (Wales) and Chris Jacques (RotW) were this year's team captains and did a splendid job leading from the front at the first tee, for their respective teams. Dave Palferman selected the RotW team but unfortunately had to step down and Chris stepped up. Pairs selection was drawn up by the captains but even better, the selection was not revealed until just before the individual matches started. Don Wraight's special "Ryder Cup" trophy was once again on show both for the photograph prior to the matches and the presentation at the end.

48 team members were selected but unfortunately 2 members were unable to play on the day. We had a contingency plan and a singles match kept the matches going and supplemented consequent results. My thanks go to Ray Griffiths and Chris Blazdell for playing without partners. On the steps of the clubhouse, both teams were resplendent in their reds and blues and a special prize was (only) considered for Dave Nicholson's blue check trousers! All arrived on time for the team photograph and pairs announcements. The banter was free flowing and there was enthusiastic, somewhat nervous chatter before the first ball was struck, however, there was also a serious side and a Cup to win. The competition was intense throughout the 12 matches, with stories being swapped across the fairways and then the results started to come in. The team captains oversaw the pairs results back in the clubhouse and Senior Captain, Chris Jacques gathered the troops together for the overall presentation. There are too many individual winners to name, but the best organiser in the world could not have predicted the final result. As last year - the captains tried to find a balance in their selection, in order to influence the final scores. It was an identical result to 2022 - Wales (5 matches won), two matches halved and RotW (5 matches won). It couldn't have ended any better. There were minor prizes purchased for the winning side and because of the result, it was agreed that these would be presented to every winning pair. Everybody said that the event created a buzz and when asked if the event should appear again in 2024, there was a unanimous seal of approval. I would like to thank all who helped with the event and a big thank you to everyone who participated on both sides. Roll on "Not Quite the Ryder Cup 2024". I will put out feelers for staging it in Rome!

Seniors September medal results plus other news from Mike Healey.

September Medal Division One: 1st - Keith Hawthorn (72)(c/b) 2nd - Richard Collier (72)(c/b) 3rd - Damian Atkin (72)(c/b) Division Two: 1st - Eric Thwaites (67) 2nd - Stan Roberts (69) 3rd - Mick Carnell (72) Division Three: 1st - Alan Pocklington (71) 2nd - Peter M Jones (78)(c/b) 3rd - Tom Pierce (78)(c/b) Not Quite the Ryder Cup I am keeping everything crossed for a decent weather report next Tuesday and reminding all of format. There is an attached sheet with 48 names on it. That is your commitment to playing but if for any reason you cannot play, you must ring me on 07716 527332 asap, so that we can adjust the team pairings. Please turn up in red if you are playing for Wales and blue for ROTW. The format is Pairs Betterball and to maintain speed, please pick up if the hole is conceded. Because of the numbers, I have requested and received the first tee from 8.30 onwards. The intention is to get a group photograph as early as possible (8.20ish?), keeping selected pairings quiet until you are sent out. The Captains have been instructed to have their first two pairings ready, as we need 6 groups in total to go off the 1st tee. A further four pairings will follow up to the 1st tee and there will be 3 groups going off both 16th and 14th tees. We would like as many players as possible to remain afterwards for the presentations (don't forget food list). Back in the clubhouse please record your match result and remember £1.00 each (towards the prizes). The presentations and Trophy will take place when we are all in. I will see you all on Tuesday morning bright and early and hope that I don't have any communications over the weekend?!! I would like to thank in advance, Ernie Williams, Dave Palferman and Chris Jacques for their help with this event.

3 Clubs and a putter September 19th 2023. Report via Mike Healey

Seniors - Once again, the horrendous BBC weather forecast turned out to be no more than a damp squib. Cool at 9.00am but by 11.00am warm, admittedly windy conditions led to short sleeves coming on show. There was some rain over the last three holes but it did not disrupt the golf. Three Clubs and a Putter was the chosen format and although not everybody's cup of tea, the seniors who arrived thoroughly enjoyed the competition. Format or weather - who knows? Only 10 stalwarts threw their tally into the bag and 5 x twoballs hit the fairways. Three prizes were on offer and they went to: Three Clubs and a Putter: First: Chris Roseblade - 39 points Second: Alan Barnsdale - 38 points Third: Tom McGrady - 35 points Reminder - there are currently 44 names on the "Not Quite the Ryder Cup" sign-up sheet for Tuesday 26th September. This will be taken down when I have finished my medal round this Thursday 21st. If you wish to play and you are teeing off later than me, you need to sign up before you go out for your medal. Also - if for any reason you need to cry off (having already signed up) you must let me know asap (07716 527332) so that gaps can be filled. I am keeping up a dialogue with both captains, who are selecting their teams over the weekend and we will advise everybody of their respective tees for next Tuesday. I have managed to reserve two extra early tees to accommodate numbers, so if everybody could arrive before 8.30am with golf bags ready, it would be good to photograph the respective teams in red (Wales) and blue (RotW) before we kick off. Good luck in the medal Thursday and see you all for "Not Quite the Ryder Cup."

Individual Stableford September 14th 2023. Report via Mike Healey

Seniors - a rain-free morning of golf, turning warm towards the end of the round. Peter kindly set up a qualifying round of Individual Stableford and although not particularly high-scoring, there was a necessity for countback on the return of cards. There was a carry over in the ballsweep due to nobody scoring 2's two weeks ago and Alan Bottomley, scoring the only 2 all morning on the fifth, walked away with all proceeds. He was also unlucky with countback in the Stableford. 24 seniors entered the kitty competition with five prizes to be distributed at the end. Individual Stableford: First: Damian Atkin - 35 points Second: Richard Collier - 34 points Third: Alan Barnsdale - 33 points (c/b) Fourth: Dave Nicholson - 33 points (c/b) Fifth: Stuart Miles - 33 points (c/b) Alan Bottomley also carded 33 points but recorded the lowest back 9. Can I remind you about the Medal next Thursday (21st) and that day will also be the last day for your sign up to "Not Quite the Ryder Cup" (Tuesday 26th). Teams have to be organised and in place

3 Ball results and other news from Mike Healey September 12th 2023

Seniors - some notes to begin this missive: Firstly, for those of you that haven't already looked, Don has released the tee times for next week's medal (Thursday 21st) and they are now available for viewing on ig. Secondly, this Thursday is marked as an Individual Stableford kitty competition and Peter has also set it up as a qualifier. Before handing cards to me for prizes, please enter all scores into ig (if you are unable to do this - please ask reception to enter scores for you before returning cards.) Thirdly, you may remember that Neville Bassett and Dave Fergus won our Welsh Greensomes qualifier back in June. Last week they travelled down to Carmarthen Golf Club, where they were able to have a practice round before playing in the Welsh Senior Final. I am pleased to report that they represented Clays GC very well, gaining eighth position overall. Well done to both of them! Today - Tom Pierce took responsibility for the Clays senior team going to Harwarden GC for our return fixture with their seniors. Before play started, there was a problem on the A483, with some late arrivals for the match. Some team members had to be swapped around in order to meet tee times but all matches got away on time. Weatherwise, it was never a great start to the day for any golf and there was a fair amount of rain at Harwarden but the rain eventually lifted. For the final fixture of the season, it was a very close run affair with a number of matches being decided on the eighteenth green. What might have been an equitable draw finished with Harwarden seniors taking the honours 5 games to 3. There were some 2's but not recorded by any of our senior members from Clays. Tom reported that the food was excellent once again and that the opposition was as convivial as ever - all in all a good fixture to maintain. Meanwhile, back on home turf, fifteen further stalwarts braved the weather gods and threw their tallies into the morning draw. Given numbers at Harwarden, this kitty competition was always going to be decided on numbers arriving, so 5 x threeballs set off with the best two scores to count. Damp, blustery conditions, after heavy overnight rain did not lend themselves initially to great scoring. The weather lifted after 10 o'clock, however and shirt sleeves even started to appear across the course. Ultimately, the scores were relatively close with two prizes on offer: Threeball - 2 to Count: First: Les Williams, Brian Beaton and Chris Roseblade - 81 points. Second: Andy Mitchell, Dave Nicholson and Tom Blackshaw - 76 points

Multiplier September 7th 2023. Report from Mike Healey

Seniors - Hayley will be away next week on holiday and she is leaving the regular food sign up sheets for both Tuesday and Thursday, next to the tally numbers. This will definitely be of benefit to the temporary staff making our lunches, so please sign up if you want food. Multiplier Report - numbers were lower today, probably because of the heat on Tuesday. Those that did turn out were well prepared with hats and water. 25 seniors threw their tallies into the bag, which required separate competitions of both threeball and fourball teams. We experienced a little light rain early doors but the heat and humidity came through eventually, leaving perspiring bodies in the clubhouse at the end. The scoring was good on both sides of our competition - a Multiplier. We ran a ballsweep and Paul Wallace-Jones shot a 2 on the 2nd hole with one of his team partners, Eric Thwaites, getting the next 2 on the 5th hole. This undoubtedly helped them with the team competition. Well done to both and they shared the spoils. After the comparisons of putting through sand, which remains temporarily on the greens, that only left the announcement of two results: Threeball Multiplier: First: Tony Jackson, Mick Carnell and Mike Healey - 110 points Fourball Multiplier: First: Bob Brown, Chris Blazdell, Paul Wallace-Jones and Eric Thwaites - 115 points

Waltz results etc September 5th 2023 from Mike Healey

Seniors - what a scorcher! A full week of sunshine this week is payback for the period of summer rain we experienced earlier in the holidays, however, there are inherent dangers along with these current temperatures. All seniors have now been advised regarding hydration and we need to be on constant alert for not only ourselves, but fellow members on the course also. Hot, sticky conditions made for mostly, pleasurable golf with some excellent scores being returned. We always knew about ground maintenance week, with a lot of sand on the greens but putting became almost impossible. Still, a ballsweep was organised and there were no fewer than 3 x 2's - Tony Jackson on the 5th and Nigel Davies shooting both of the others on the 5th and 12th. Well done to them for sharing the spoils. 36 seniors entered the tally draw and 9 x fourballs played a Waltz. There were three prizes in total - Waltz Result: First: Stuart Leyland, Mike Drake, Brian Beaton and Mick McHugh - 88 points Second: Dave A Jones, Alan Barnsdale, Graham Wright and Russ Adamson - 81 points Third: Don Wraight, Mick Carnell, Steve Monk and Tony Harcombe - 78 points The August calendar has just ended and with nearly all of the board competitions completed, we can relax a little and hope the autumn/winter rain does not arrive too soon. This is advance notice of our “Not Quite the Ryder Cup” event (sign-up on noticeboard). This has been ear-marked for Tuesday 26th September and it will be a great way to effectively close the competitive season. Whether you entered last year or not, it could not have finished on a better note with all wins/losses being equal. An equitable draw with winning pairs on both sides being rewarded with the spoils. How does it work? - On the day we are setting up a national challenge between Wales and the Rest of the World (sign-up sheet for both sides.) Should we fail to match numbers then a couple of seniors may be asked to swap teams. The Welsh team will be asked to wear red and ROTW – blue. The team Captains this year have been identified as Ernie Williams (Wales) and Dave Palferman (ROTW). They are both tasked with organising their chosen pairs for a one-day match-play competition. The scores will be collated and the winning team announced. There will be a Trophy and an inexpensive prize for each member of the winning side. Naturally the prizes attract a small fee, so entry for this event will be a mere £1.00 each. The event proved popular in 2022 and it may be considered as a regular fixture for our calendar in the future. Mike H

Texas scramble August 31st 2023. Report via Mike Healey

Seniors - a late report from yesterday. I received visitors in the afternoon who left late hence report today. Before the report, you should have received the September calendar, which showed a change for the medal (Thursday 21st). That still stands but I inadvertently reversed it for an Individual Stableford, which would not work in maintenance week. The calendar will now read Thursday 7th - Multiplier and Thursday 14th - Individual Stableford. I hope you are able to re-arrange those dates. Yesterday's Report - Texas Scramble There was another awkward number of players yesterday (37) so the members were split into two competitions of three- and fourballs. Intermittent rain was the forecast for the day but it did not materialise until later on around midday and only the tailenders got a little damp. Some good scores came from both sides of the competition and there were three prizes in total. Threeball Texas Scramble First: Stewart Pool, Mike Griffiths and Nigel Davies - 67.8 Fourball Texas Scramble First: Colin Brown, Tom McGrady, Mike Parks and Mick Carndell - 61.8 Second: Jonathan Falcus, Damian Atkin, Eric Thwaites andSean McCarthry - 62.8

Individual Stableford etc August 29th 2023. Report via Mike Healey

I have just arrived back from Holywell, where the home team arranged an Am/Am competition rather than an inter club match. There were some very good scores on show and the winners from Clays point of view were Paul Wallace-Jones and Mike Hollings. I know their partners, who are no slouches when it comes to golf, but they declared that all four contributed to the final score of 89 points. The two course meal went down well and all in all, the Holywell members were very sociable on the day. We had a touch of rain early doors but apart from light winds, conditions were fine. Thank you once again for a good day out Malcolm. While we were abroad in Holywell, Don organised an Individual Stableford on home turf. I believe Wrexham had more rain than us up in the hills, as it rained for the best part of the morning. The stableford went down as a qualifier and some countback was required with the following results: Individual Stableford Results: First: Andy Mitchell - 40 points Second: Dave (Mole) Jones - 38 points Third: Chris Blazdell - 36 points (c/b) Fourth: John Kelty - 36 points (c/b) Fifth: Dave Palferman - 33 points My thanks go to Don for today's organisation and report. I am also attaching the September calendar with two notable dates - Don informs me that ground maintenance begins next week, so we are postponing the September medal until Thursday 21st September - check your entries and availability. On Tuesday 26th September we are holding our second "Not Quite the Ryder Cup" event. For those members who didn't play last year, a Welsh team will take on the Rest of the World for some mediocre prizes and a lot of stick and banter. A sign up sheet will apppear on the noticeboard for this competition and captains will be announced soon.

Seniors D J Bogey August 24th 2023. Report from Mike Healey

There was a slight delay in posting the results for yesterday's competition because of card verification. Bogey is a format loved by some but not necessarily all, yet 43 members still entered. Once again, we all got away on time and the threeball composition seems to work for timing around the course. The weather was warm with benign conditions, although there was not much run on the ball after all the rain we have had. Alan Barnsdale and Dave A Jones both recorded 2's on the fifth hole and share the ballsweep money. Congratulations to them. The top three were as follows but the full result can be seen on ig: D.J.Bogie Result: First: Stewart Poole - +6 Second: Stuart Leyland - +5 Third: Stefan Coghlan - +3 Only four other players recorded plus scores - difficult format!

Captains Newsletter August 2023

Captain's Newsletter: August 2023 Another month has passed and we are now entering the final weeks of the Honours Board competition season. August has been a particularly busy month and the course is in amazing condition considering some of the unseasonal weather we have had this passed month. The Toilet project is undergoing negotiations with Mr and Mrs Lewis, but I’m pleased to inform you that the new benches are now on the course situated on 6th, 9th and 15th tees. Competitions Captains charity day was held on the 12th of August, and was a great success. We were extremely lucky with the weather again. Thanks to my wife Dawn for sorting the registration once again and helping to get the day off to a great start; to Patrick for setting up the gazebo and the refreshments and to Joanna and Lucy for selling tickets and handing out refreshments with Dawn during the day. A massive thanks to all the players who took part on the day, also thanks to everyone who donated raffle prizes, bought tickets and gave donations for the refreshments on the course. The day raised in excess £1000 for the Wales Air Ambulance Trust. Thanks to Mark and the green keeping staff on presenting the course in fantastic condition, thanks also to Hayley and the bar staff for their excellent service once again. Well done to: . Mike Hollings on winning County Captains day at Wrexham Matthew Nicholas on winning on Presidents Day Clive Davies and David Palferman on winning senior’s open with Alan Bottomley and Mike Carnell taking 2nd place Clays DGU team, and to captain Patrick on picking a winning team gaining a wonderful 7 – 1 victory over Old Colwyn Craig Yarwood and his team for winning on charity Day and Patrick McHugh’s team for coming second. Coming up: Saturday August 26th - Neil Harden Memorial Trophy Tuesday August 29th - Seniors match V Holywell (A) September 2nd and 3rd - Honours Board Finals weekend Sunday 24th September - DGU Autumm Meeting JCB draw has been made please check on IG for the details The Jubilee Plate next round has been made so please keep an eye on the notice board for further details. Ladies report Once again it has been a busy month of golf in the Ladies Section. The Honours Board Knockout Competitions are reaching the final stages with just one semi -final still to play. We wish the best of luck to all those who are have reached the Finals, amongst those playing are Shan Stapley and Christine Evans v Jayne Gibson and Angela Thomas Williams in the Ladies Betterball, Jayne Gibson and Mike D Jones v Jane Evans and Graham Davidson Clarke in the mixed foursomes and in the Aber Rose Bowl, Jayne Gibson v Jane Evans or Christine Evans. At our Club Championship weekend we congratulated the winner of the best gross score, Angela Thomas Williams and Jayne Gibson in winning the Harcombe Trophy with the best nett score. Our Charity Day to support North Wales Air Ambulance Service was a huge success and we were delighted that Debra Syma from the organisation joined us for the start of the event and she will be joining us again at The Captains Last Supper in March. Together with the 72 hole golf marathon organised by Angela Thomas Williams a significant amount of money has been raised. Our thanks to everyone who supported these events. The series of NWLCSA matches concluded at Denbigh earlier in the month. Whilst it was a very close match, the team missed out on the final hole in a number of the matches. Our final position in the Division is yet to be announced. The Lady Captain’s Away day was a great success at Upton by Chester Golf Club. Twelve ladies were able to join the day and we received a very warm welcome from everyone at The Club. We enjoyed playing a tricky course with some interesting challenges, in a format of individual and team competitions, nearest the pin in one on a Par 3 and nearest the pin in 2 on a par 4, had good weather and enjoyed a relaxed meal afterwards in the Clubhouse. Following the success of the Ladies Open, I am pleased that a number of entrants from other Clubs who played have expressed interest in taking part in the Competition again next year. An article reviewing the day and recognising Joan’s Hole in One at Clays Golf Club is to be published in the September/October edition of The Golfers local paper. In late July, The Fan Jones Trophy was won by Debbie Scott. Forthcoming competitions still to look forward to include The Welsh Dragon Brooch, a Tri match against Llanymynech and Mile End and our final Honours Board Competition, The Allington Hughes Salver which will conclude our Section season of competitions. An annual exchange day with Denbigh is scheduled on 29th August and we will be welcoming 31 ladies back to Clays for a return visit on August 30th. Jane Evans and Bev Hood have been successful in reaching the final 16 of The Daily Mail Foursomes competition and are scheduled to play Greenmount Golf Club in their next round, I wish them continued success. In the Purves Cup, Jane and myself are through to the finals to be played at Abergele at the beginning of October. Plans for the golfing season into the coming months are being made in which we hope to include more weekly kitty competitions and of course dare I say our ‘tinsel trail’ in November. Thank you once again to everyone at The Club for their continued support, Sue Falcus (Lady Captain) And finally from me… On the 28th of July, Angela Thomas-Williams joined me in completing a 72 hole marathon in aid of this year’s Captains’ charity the Wales Air Ambulance Trust. Lady Captain Sue Falcus completed the first two rounds and Jack Whitehouse completed the final two rounds with us, and Vice Captain Patrick Mchugh joined us on the first round. We are extremely grateful for your generosity in sponsoring us, helping to raise £1,061 to date. https://www.justgiving.com/page/clays-golf-club-captains-charity-1687459963858?utm_term=nBv26kRdN Please be aware as it’s getting very busy out on the course over the next few months, please avoid slow play. I know all our members consistently use the 3 R’s: Rake, Repair and Replace. Can I ask all members to be vigilant and report any players not adhering to course etiquette to Josh at reception, as it is most frustrating for you all to have your games unnecessarily spoilt by this. We have discussed at council the possibility of giving out a simple course etiquette leaflet to guests as they register to play. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or other ideas to help with this issue. And most of all enjoy your golf! Kind Regards, Michael McHugh (Club Captain)

Seniors 9x3 plus 9x2 August 22nd 2023. Report via Mike Healey

Seniors - what can I say? A Mickey Mouse head cover displayed on a broken golf club shaft, I took to be a jokey welcome back. Ego far too big - it was being displayed for somebody who had left it on the course. Obviously not missed one iota!! Well I am back and apart from today's results there are other results to catch up with. Today 30 seniors appeared for a "9x3" plus "9x2" - perfect numbers. 10 x threeballs set forth into quite blustery conditons, which I am told had some effect on shots. Not so for Alan Barnsdale and Nigel Davies - they both split the winnings in the ballsweep by shooting 2's on the 5th and 12th chronologically. The main competition provided three prizes in total, where there was quite a divide from bottom card to top but the prizewinners were close at the end. "9 x 3" plus "9 x 2" Result First: Chris Roseblade, Peter Taylor and Alan Bottomley - 95 points Second: Peter Frazer, Graham Wright and Irwin Elkin - 92 points Third: Andy Mitchell, Alan Barnsdale and Chris Blazdell - 88 points

Clays Seniors Open August 17th 2023

CLAYS GOLF SENIOR’S OPEN 17th August 2023 - RESULTS 52 Pairs participated in this Open, Betterball Stableford competition yesterday, with the winners as follows: 1st Place – 42 points, Clive Davies and David Palferman, both Clays Golf. 2nd Place - 40 points, on countback, Alan Bottomley and Mike Carnell, both Clays Golf. 3rd Place – 40 points, on countback, Steve Parker and David Baker, both Antrobus Golf Club. Other Prizes: Nearest the Pin 12th Hole – Clive Davies, Clays Golf. Nearest the 18th in 2 shots, Visitors only – Mike Eaton, Douglas Park Golf Club. Nearest the line 10th Hole, Men and Ladies – Nev Bassett, Clays Golf. Nearest the Pin 5th Hole, Ladies only – No winner.

Pryors Hayes results from Brian Beaton August 15th 2023

I have had a short email from Pryors Hayes. With their great 45 points Andrew Mitchell and Ernie Williams finished in 3rd place overall. First place was won with 46 points. Full details will be on the Pryors Hayes website in due course. Well done both. Vouchers are being posted out to me and I will pass them on asap. In the kitty competition today after another "lucky " day with the weather. First Andrew Mitchell and Ernie Williams 45 points. Second Mick Carnell and Jon Falcus 44 points. Third Tony Harcombe and Stuart Leyland 42 points on countback. Fourth Tom Pierce and Sean Mccarthy 42 points. Also, Alan Barnsdale recorded a 2 with a great putt on the ? hole. Sorry Alan, I can't remember the hole but it was a pleasure to watch.

Individual Stableford August 15th 2023. Report via Malcolm Williams

26 Senior Members competed this morning in an Individual Stableford format. This was a good turn-out considering there were also a number competing in the Priors Hayes Seniors Open. Results:- 1st:- George Hughes – 42pts. 2nd:- Peter Taylor – 38pts. 3rd:- Wyn Jenkins – 38pts. 4th:- John Kelty – 35pts. 5th:- Chris Blazdell – 34pts.

DGU County Captains Day August 6th 2023. Results from Alan Pocklington

The results for the DGU County Captains Day are now available on the DGU Website. The event was held at Wrexham Golf Club on Sunday 6th August. It was a glorious day both weather wise and for the entrants from Clays Golf. Results Star of the show was Mike Hollings who won the County Captains Day Stableford Championship with 45 points. Tom Pierce was Senior Stableford Champion with 41 points. Iwan Bonds gained runner up spot in the Senior Gross Category with 75 gross. Congratulations to all 3 of them on their brilliant performances. My thanks also to all Clays entrants who made the long trek (!) across the road to give it a go. Next up is the DGU Autumn Meeting to be held at LLangollen on Sunday 24th September. The details and sign up sheet are on the noticeboard in the Foyer. Lets see if Clays can win that one as well! Alan Pocklington Competitions Secretary

Rhos on Sea Open August 8th 2023 results courtesy on Brian Beaton

Unfortunately Stewart Poole had to withdraw at the last minute due to illness. Get well soon Stewart. We were unable to find a replacement but the club did provide one of their members (Phil O'Brien) as a substitute partner for Vic Rogerson. The weather was excellent. Most of us had not played the course before and it involves some interesting challenges including water and greens with lots of variation. Everything was in great condition for golf. Another well attended day with 30 players in our group and another good result. First place went to members of Rhos on Sea with 46 points. Second place Vic Rogerson and his partner from the home club with 46 points (countback on back 9). There were then many scores in the 40' s, mainly home club players, with our next pair being Mike Drake and Peter Bowen with 41 points but not in the prizes. The full results are on the Rhos on Sea GC website. In our kitty competition the results were, 1st Vic Rogerson and Phil O'Brien with 46 points 2nd Mike Drake and Peter Bowen 41 points 3rd Don Wraight and Jon Falcus 40 points (countback) 4th Andrew Mitchell and Ernie Williams 40 points. Both Tony Harcombe and Andrew Mitchell recorded 2's and have vouchers of £8.52 each at the pro's shop. Dave Fergus won the nearest the line competition and has a voucher for £25 waiting.

Individual Stableford August 8th 2023 from Mike Healey and Bob Brown

Today's result comes courtesy of Bob Brown. 20 seniors played an Individual Stableford kitty comp today at Clays. (30 members were playing away at the Rhos on Sea Senior Open.) Three prizes were given out as below; 1st with 36 points was Les Williams. 2nd with 33 points was Peter Fraser. 3rd with 32 points was Tom Blackshaw.

August 3rd 2023 Medal and other news via Mike Healey

The August calendar came with a warning that there was lots of golf for us to choose. Brian Beaton entered 32 members in the Senior Open at Aldersey Green - Wednesday 2nd August and although we are still waiting on overall final results we had a good showing on the day. It is a tough track with plenty of water hazards to be aware of but the majority of our pairs coped well. Quite a few turned up with all their wet gear but it proved to be quite a warm, sunny day. We had several members winning with two's in the ballsweep but they have not been named for this report - Brian will follow up. For our own comp, the following pairs were successful: First: Jonathan Falcus and Dave Palferman - 45 points. Second: Tom Pierce and Les Williams - 42 points I am told that the above two scores are amongst the winners from Aldersey but it has to be confirmed. Four pairs carded 35 points and countback was applied. Inevitably there are winners and losers - Nev Bassett / Dave Fergus and Mike Drake/Rodney Evans just missed out. Third: Ernie Williams and Mick Carnell - 35 points (c/b) Fourth: John Hellowell and Stuart Miles - 35 points (c/b) August Senior Medal - Thursday 3rd August The weathermen got it wrong again. The early starters arrived and prepared in quite a downpour, followed by a relatively heavy shower just after 9.00 but then the jackets came off and stayed off for the duration. Similar to Tuesday, the ball did not seem to fly and a distinct lack of bounce hindered some of the scoring today. There were 2 x two's recorded: John Kelty and Gary Campbell - both on the fifth hole. Well done to them and well done to the three winners in each division.. Division 1: First: Paul Wallace-Jones (nett 67) Second: Chris Jacques (nett 69) Third: Richard Collier (nett 73 c/b) Alan Bottomley also carded (nett 73) Division 2: First: Reg Peacock (nett 73) Second: Mick Carnell (nett 74) Third: Sean McCarthy (nett 76) Division 3: First: Les Wiliams (nett 70) Second: Mike Drake (nett75) Third: Peter Fraser (nett 76 c/b) Stephen Graham also carded (nett 76)

3 Ball 2 scores to count plus request for Seniors Open prizes. Report from Mike Healey

Seniors - Messages first: Chris Jacques gave a follow up appeal for donations of prizes for our Senior Open on 17th August. There will be a box in reception or give any prizes to Mike Holllings, who continues to work hard for the cause. Remember we benefit from any profits made from this particular raffle. You received a calendar yesterday and I'm afraid there was an error. I do not know how many are playing on President's Day but it is taking place on Saturday 19th August and not on Saturday 26th August as advertised. I have adjusted the date on the noticeboard - kindly adjust your own. Today's Result - Threeball - 2 to Count. It was advertised as a Pairs Betterball initially but numbers were wrong, so we set forth in threeballs and once again, it proved to be better with the timing. Everybody seemed to arrive back at the clubhouse in good time, presentations were made and all got away early. Although overcast, it remained warm throughout but scores not brilliant. The greens have been in excellent condition but 2 days of rain made progress up the fairways harder than normal, thus reducing points scores, with the exception of one group. There were three prizes in total: Threeball - 2 to Count: First: Jon Falcus, Alan Barnsdale and Peter Thomas - 85 points Second: Ernie Williams, Chris Blazdell and Ian Ketland - 75 points Third: Reg Peacock, Mike Scott and Colin Evans - 70 points (c/b) (2 other groups carded 70 points but missed out on countback)

Match at home vs Hawarden Tuesday 25th July 2023. Report from Malcolm Williams

On Tuesday (25th) we enjoyed another great fixture against Hawarden at home. They were an extremely friendly and sporting group and it was good to hear their very positive comments about the excellent state of the course and the meal provided by Hayley (beef in Guinness!) We managed to win 5 and a half to 2 and a half, maintaining our 100% record for the season so far! Our next match is at home to Aldersey Green on Thursday,10th August – sign up sheet on the board.

Seniors Yellow July 27th 2023 result from Mike Healey

a showery day. Despite being warm, the rain was intermittent and put a bit of a damper on things but the scores remained quite good throughout. 32 seniors threw their tallies into the bag, with a number of committee members taking early tees due to a meeting afterwards. A ballsweep was held and Bob Brown was the only player on show with a 2, which he shot on the fifth hole. 8 x fourballs challenged for a Yellow Ball 4,5 4,5 today, but there could only be two prizes: Yellow Ball Result: First: Peter Lord, Eric Thwaites, Barry Evans and Mick Carnell - 165 points Second: Dave Jones, Ken Tieszen, Ian Ketland and Bill Kelleher - 161 points (c/b -79 points on back 9) Nigel Davies, Peter Taylor, Brian Beaton and Wyn Jenkins also had 161 points with (c/b of 78 points on back 9)

Captains Newsletter July 2023

Captain's Newsletter: July 2023 July has been a very busy month. The weather has not been quite as kind to us as the previous month but the course remains in fantastic condition and lots of golf has been played. It is lovely to hear great comments on how well the course is playing and how beautiful it is. The new toilets are still on hold at the moment but I’m pleased to inform you all that the benches have been ordered and should be on the course shortly. Competitions It has been another busy month with the Honours Board competitions now at the semi-final stage. Results and next rounds can be accessed on ‘ig’. We have a number of teams and individual members involved in various fixtures at Clays and at other clubs. Best of luck to all involved. Captains day was held on July 8th and was a great success. We were extremely lucky with the weather with everyone getting back to the clubhouse before the tremendous thunderstorms struck. A big thanks from the lady captain Sue and myself to all the players who took part in supporting us on our Captains day. Thanks to my wife Dawn for sorting the registration helping to get the day off to a great start; to Patrick for setting up the gazebo and refreshments and to Lucy for selling tickets and handing out refreshments with Dawn during the day. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the charity raffle in aid of Wales Air Ambulance Trust which raised approximately £250 on the day. Thanks to Mark and the green staff the course was in fantastic condition, thanks also to Hayley and the bar staff for their excellent service once again. Well done to: Nigel Davies on winning the Seniors & Vets trophy with a net 68. Tom Pierce on winning the Captains day men’s trophy Jane Gibson on winning the Captains day ladies trophy Chris Jacques on winning the Seniors two day challenge Clays DGU team on a good display at Denbigh not quiet getting the win but still picked up some valuable away points Jane Evans and the Ping team on their ongoing success with their latest wins over Maesdu Conor Mitchell on winning the Club Championship with best Gross & myself on winning the Rowland Cup with best Net. Coming up: The Draw for JCB quarter final has been made so please check ’ig’ for the details. The Jubilee plate 2nd round has been made so please keep an eye on the notice board for further details. D. G. U. match Clays V Old Colwyn on Sunday 30th July. Best of look to Patrick and his team for that one Captains charity day, in aid of Wales ambulance trust will take place on 12th of August. This will be a fun competition for 3 or 4 players per team entry fee £10 per player with all proceeds going to the charity. There will be prizes on the day also. If any member or a company known to a member wishes to donate a prize or sponsor a hole on the course for the day please contact myself or lady Captain. We will also be holding a charity raffle on the day, I would be very grateful for any raffle prize donations, please leave them in reception or you can bring them with you on the day. Presidents day August 19th Ladies report Another busy month with HB and NWLCSA matches. In the NWLCSA matches a mixture of wins and unfortunately a couple of losses. One final match against Denbigh next week. On our Ladies Club day on Wednesday mornings, we have welcomed new ladies. Two of those new ladies have now attained handicaps and we look forward to them participating in our Wednesday competitions. The Open held on Wednesday 12th July was very successful. 42 players participated in teams, including those from Porthmadog, 2 teams from Powys, Chester, Mile End, Denbigh, Padeswood and Buckley. The weather was certainly better than predicted and sunshine broke through for most of the day. Thank you to Nigel Davies as Starter for his superb efficiency and Mick McHugh and Chris Jones for their support. Mark and his team had got the course in fantastic condition, many ladies commented on the condition of the course and enjoyed the challenging pin positions. Hayley worked hard from early in the day to ensure everyone could enjoy plenty of food and drink. My sincere thanks to all the fantastic ladies within our section, their contribution made the day possible and the success it was. Congratulations also to all our winners, first place with 73 points were Jane Evans, Jan Keen and Dawn Thompson. In second place with 70 points Eleanor Osei – Frimpong, Judy Owen and Pauline Evans from Denbigh. A close third place, also with 70 points, Nicky Bowen, Pauline Peacock and Bev Hood. Home player nearest the pin on the 5th hole was Lizzie Hart and the Away player from St Idloes, Joan Hunt who achieved a HOLE IN ONE. Joan has been playing golf for over 40 years and had never had a hole in one so she was absolutely thrilled. In addition to her nearest the pin winnings, Clays Golf Club presented her with a complimentary voucher for a round of golf for 4 people. Many of the teams have said they would like to play in The Open again next year, enjoyed the course and the hospitality they received. Our first New 2 Golf lessons have concluded. A number of participants attended regularly and appeared keen to continue. I am very grateful to Rhodri Fieldhouse for running the course. The group have been provided with a follow up plan which has included information on further lessons, mentorship and Membership options. A further course may be organised for later in the year. In the Daily Mail competition Jane Evans and Bev Hood have progressed through 6 rounds and in the Purves Cup we have now reached the semi finals. The Ping Team have won a number of matches and I wish them continued success. A number of us played at The Denbighshire Lady Captains Day at Wrexham earlier in the month and am delighted to say that Angela Thomas Williams was a worthy winner in quite appalling weather conditions. Once again the following months are busy with plenty of competitions which include HB, The Fan Jones Trophy for higher handicap players, knockout Board comps, NWLCSA match at Denbigh, and Charity Day. In August, 14 ladies have signed up for an ‘Awayday ‘ which has been arranged at Upton by Chester Golf Club, to include coffee etc on arrival, 18 holes of golf and a 2 course meal. On Friday July 28th Angela Thomas Williams is playing a continuing 72 holes of golf to raise money for The North Wales Air Ambulance. I will be playing with her for some of the rounds to support and it would be great to see as many of you on the course on that day. The link to sponsor Angela is given below. Plenty of golf to come and hopefully better weather, Sue Falcus (Lady Captain) And finally from me… Not long to go On the 28th of July, I will be taking on 72 holes of the course in aid of this year’s Captains’ charity the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. Angela Thomas-Williams will be joining me for the full 4 rounds, Lady Captain Sue Falcus will be joining in the first two rounds and Jack Whitehouse take on the final two rounds with us. Any support you can give us on the course would be very welcome. We would be very grateful if you could make a donation towards this worthwhile cause if you are able on our JustGiving page via https://www.justgiving.com/page/clays-golf-club-captains-charity-1687459963858?utm_term=nBv26kRdN or there are sponsor forms available in the foyer and upstairs in the bar area. We now have a Safeguarding /Welfare Officer in place but we still require a Junior Organiser to encourage new young members to join our club. if any members are interested, or if you know of anyone who would be interested in this role, please get in touch with me or any member of the council. Please be aware as it’s getting very busy out on the course over the next few months, please avoid slow play. Please remember the 3 R’s: Rake, Repair and Replace and most of all enjoy your golf! Kind Regards, Michael McHugh (Club Captain)

Seniors individual Stableford July 24th 2023. Report from Mike Healey

Mike was very grateful to Don for taking on kitty comp duties. I know that 21 seniors had their names down for an early tee, prior to Malcolm's team going out against Hawarden in their match, however only 17 players handed their cards in for today's prize money. I suspect the weather had some effect and perhaps a few cards were held back as a result. The weather was not great, windy with light rain at the start, then after about 5 holes it turned heavy and unpleasant. When the sun came out it was nice and hot but that wasn't for too long before the rain came back and the temperature dropped once again. At the end of the day the scores reflected the difficult conditions. Some cards were good enough though and we had some winners: Individual Stableford: First: Stewart Poole - 35 points Second: Don Wraight - 33 points Third: Tom McGrady - 32 points Fourth: Keith Hawthorn - 31 points (c/b)

Seniors 2 day challenge. Final results from Mike Healey

Seniors - I can now announce our results from the 2 Day Challenge. This is yet another event that is quite unique in our senior golf calendar - adding stableford scores together instead of medal scores. For those who played on both days - what a contrast we had in weather. Tuesday's results were definitely affected by the rain, especially from the later starters, compared with Thursday's results, which appeared better, given the warmer, drier weather. There has been an absence of two's over the past couple of weeks but like the buses, they all seemed to come along at once in this competition - find below: Ballsweep: Tuesday - 2's for Tony Jackson, Bob Jarvis, Steve Monk and David Nicholson (5th hole), Nigel Davies and Dave Palferman (12th hole). Ballsweep: Thursday - 2's for Ernie Williams and Don Wraight (2nd hole), Stewart Poole (5th hole). Well done all! There is a Winner and Runner-up for the 2 Day Challenge and it is split into 2 Divisions with the cut off being 24 handicap. There are four prizes in total: 2 Day Challenge: Division 1: Winner - Chris Jacques 36 =41 = 77. Runner-Up - Dave Palferman 39 = 34 = 73. Division 2: Winner - Barry Dare 34 = 35 = 69. Runner-Up - Peter Fraser 31 = 36 = 67. Congratulations to the four winners and everybody else who took part, making it into a really good competition.

Captains Charity Day August 12 2023

Your Captain’s Charity Day Shotgun Start (Saturday 12th August @ 9.30am) booking sheet is now open for entries. To book your starting hole, go to the IG app, click on Competitions > Upcoming > Select the Competition > Click on ‘Enter Competition’. If you haven’t got the IG app, simply login to the Members Area via our website; www.claysgolf.co.uk and follow the same process. You can also book in your team members with you. Starting holes are available on a first come, first serve basis…so be quick to secure your preferred starting hole. Best regards, Josh

Seniors Vets Trophy plus other results via Mike Healey

Seniors - Tuesday 11th July. Tom Pierce led the field of 80 players on Captain's Day and I will leave that report for the Club Captain. Following further good results on Captain's Day from the seniors, the golf was followed up on Tuesday in the Seniors/Vets Trophy. There was a little rain around to dampen spirits but not enough to affect final scores and the course has been in superb condition all week. There were no 2's recorded and 42 seniors took part in this competition with the following results: I reported yesterday that there were no 2's carded in the Senior/Vets Trophy and that information going to print was correct. However, it was decided to award the prize to the player with the lowest score across the four par three holes. There were 3 scores of 15 and 16, 2 scores of 14, but the winner with a score of 13, including a magnificent 3 on the 17th, was Don Wraight. Congratulations to him on great scoring and a big thank you to Peter Bowen for scrutinising all of the cards for those scores. Seniors Winner: Nigel Davies 68 nett Seniors Runner Up: Eric Thwaites 69 nett Vets Winner: Tom Pierce 69 nett Vets Runner Up: Tony Jackson 70 nett Thursday 13th July. Today Malcolm Williams arranged a match with Northop GC at home. Tom Pierce took charge on the day and they were all sitting down to an extremely convivial, 2-course meal before announcing the match result. Clays Seniors ran out as winners 6 games - 2 games. Meanwhile, the remaining 15 seniors who turned up, managed to book early tees and a kitty comp ensued in the form of individual stableford. There seems to be a dearth of 2's currently but there were 4 winners in this competition: Individual Stableford: First: Bob Brown - 42 points Second: Damian Atkin - 40 points Third: Peter Taylor - 34 points Fourth: Stewart Poole - 33 points

Seniors Medal July6th 2023. Reults via Mike Healey

Great conditions today, both course and weatherwise and some very good medal scores to boot. Here are the results split into 3 divisions: Senior Medal - Division 1: First: Mick McHugh - 64 Second: Alan Bottomley - 65 (c/b) Third: - Chris Jacques - 65 (c/b) Senior Medal - Division 2: First: Sean McCarthy - 69 Second: Colin Brown - 70 Third: Chris Blazdell - 71 Senior Medal - Division 3: First: Peter Fraser - 68 (c/b) Second: Mike Hollings - 68 (c/b) Third: Steve Graham - 70

Antrobus Seniors Open results from Mike Healey July 5th 2023

Seniors - Along with no fewer than 31 other senior members, we have just returned from the Senior Open being held at Antrobus Golf Club. The weather forecast was not too good at the outset and we were indeed met by a few light flurries, with some heavier rain about 10.30. However, it did not last long and the remainder of our round was at least warm and dry. The course was in relatively good condition with true and fast greens but most of our pairs managed to score on a regular basis and some good cards were returned. The final positioning from the Antrobus club will be released forthwith but in the meantime they presented our organiser Brian Beaton (another splendid job organising 32 of us) with a voucher for a fourball to play the course in the future. 32 numbers went into the hat and the voucher was drawn by Vic Rogerson. Meanwhile, in our own kitty competition, the following four couples took home the prizes: Antrobus Senior Open: First: Tom Pierce and Alan Pocklington - 46 points Second: Mike Jordan and Graham Wright - 45 points Third: Peter Fraser and George Hughes - 44 points Fourth: Mick Carnell and Damian Atkin - 42 points Andy Mitchel/Ernie Williams and Nev Bassett/ Dave Fergus also carded 42 points but missed out on countback.

Texas scramble July 4th 2023. Report from Mike Healey

- we are very lucky to have this continuous good weather. The warm conditions, punctuated by a breeze with gusts, might have tested one or two but in all, the cards returned were very tidy. 30 seniors threw their tallies into the draw bag and 10 threeballs set forth into battle, making good timing, with a swifter than normal finish. The score differential between cards was extremely close and it was tight at the top for the eventual three winning teams: Texas Scramble Result: First: Dave Wright, Steve Graham and Nigel Davies - 63.0 Second: Fred Court, Tony Jackson and Liam Roddis - 63.1 Third: Graham Wright, Peter Lord and Alan Bottomley - 65.2 Just missing out on the prizes were Mick Carnell, Chris Roseblade and Tom Blackshaw with 65.8

Captain's Newsletter June 2023

Captain's Newsletter: June 2023 Since my last newsletter the weather has been brilliant, the course in fantastic condition, and lots of golf has been played. We have had numerous complimentary comments from societies, members and members of other clubs on how well our course is playing and on the friendly and welcoming atmosphere all around our club. The new toilets are on hold at the moment. Details on the new benches we are looking to purchase will be included in next month’s newsletter. Captains’ Day is fast approaching, and Lady Captain Sue and I would like to share the day with as many as possible on 8th July. We will have a nearest the pin on the 5th for the ladies, nearest the pin on 12th for the men and closest to the line on the first for all. There will be on course refreshments by the tee on the 5th. If any member would like to donate a raffle prize, please leave it at reception or bring it on the day. We would be grateful for donations. Tickets will be on sale on the day. Competitions It has been another busy month with the Honours Board competitions well under way. Results and next rounds can be accessed on ‘ig’. We have a number of teams and individual members involved in various fixtures at Clays and against other clubs. Best of luck to all involved. Well done to: Jane and the Ping team on their ongoing success with wins over Conway and Mold. Jack Whitehouse and Jane Evans on winning Redfern gold cup mixt open at Vicars cross Dave Palferman and Richard Collier on winning the Prestatyn open Paul Wallace Jones on winning the Seniors Memorial Trophy with a fantastic 45 points Clays team 1 on taking 1st place in DGU regional qualifier at Old Padeswood with 110 points. Clays team 2 on a very close 2nd with a score of 109 points. Both teams progress to play at Celtic Manor Congratulations to all, great results! Clays DGU team on a great win (4 ½ 3 ½) on Sunday 25th at the Moss, a very difficult place to get a win so well done Team Clays. Coming up: The Draw for JCB quarter final has been made so please check ’ig’ for the details. The Jubilee plate 1st round is now complete, so please keep an eye on the notice board for further details. There are plenty more opportunities coming up so please enter as many competitions as you can to support the club. Ladies report With the Golfing season well and truly underway, the Ladies Section have been playing in a range of both Club, Honours Board and external competitions. It has been great to see some of our ladies returning after a winter break and we have also welcomed new ladies on a Wednesday morning. In the NWLCSA (North Wales Ladies Challenge Shield Association) we moved up a division at the beginning of the year. In previous weeks we have won against Denbigh and Royal St Davids but unfortunately lost to Porthmadog. Plenty of matches still to come! Over the Bank Holiday Weekend, we were invited by the Ladies of Mile End to play a mixed friendly. Seven pairings were able to attend and we received a very warm welcome. They are keen to play a return fixture at Clays next year. Congratulations to Jane Evans and Beverley Hood on progressing through several rounds in of The Daily Mail, Jane and I are also through in the Purves Cup. Congratulations also to the Ping team. The Ladies New 2 Golf sessions are now halfway through. Rhodri has organised the Group lessons and thankfully for good weather at the first 3 sessions the Group have experienced tuition on the putting green and on the Driving Range. My thanks to a number of ladies from the Section who have been able to support this initiative with a ‘Meet and Greet’ rota. We are running a Ladies Open for the first time in several years in July. This is a great opportunity to show off the Club. Support has been excellent with a range of Clubs attending. There are only a couple of slots left so if you know of any ladies who may wish to play, please contact Josh. The Ladies Section have an ‘Awayday’ organised on August 16th at Upton By Chester Golf Club. Plenty of ladies already signed up for the day but time still to join up for this if not already done so. Other great news to report is that Bill has approved the plan to raise the ladies’ tees. The Greenkeeping Team will be starting work in September on a number of tees currently playing off the fairway, so next season those which have been improved will be fully functioning. The plan is to complete any remaining tees over the following months. Finally, a reminder that we have Captain’s Day on Saturday July 8th. Mick and I are looking forward to sharing the day with as many of you as possible. Enjoy your golf! Sue Falcus (Lady Captain) And finally from me… On the 28th of July, I will be taking on 72 holes of the course in aid of this year’s Captains’ charity the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. Angela Thomas-Williams will be joining me for the full 4 rounds, Lady Captain Sue Falcus will be joining in the first two rounds and Jack Whitehouse take on the final two rounds with us. We would be extremely grateful for your support along the course. We would be grateful if you could make a donation towards this worthwhile cause if you are able on our JustGiving page via this Link We are still looking for a Safeguarding /Welfare Officer, and a Junior Organiser, to encourage new young members to join our club. These are important positions so if any members are interested, or if you know of anyone who would be interested in these roles, please get in touch with myself or any member of the council. Please be aware as it’s getting very busy out on the course over the next few months, please avoid slow play. Please remember the 3 R’s: Rake, Repair and Replace and most of all enjoy your golf! Kind Regards, Michael McHugh

Multplier result June 29th 2023 and other information Via Mike Healy

Seniors - Where do I start? Firstly messages and reminders: There is a sign up sheet for the match against Northop at home on the 13th July. Malcolm has asked that you sign up asap in order to make selection. You received the July calendar on Tuesday but there was an omission - the Aldersey Green Senior Open is on Wednesday 2nd August (and not on 31st August as in the club calendar). Don asked that seniors sign up asap for all of the forthcoming comps - 6th July (Senior medal) 8th July (Captain's Day) 11th July (Senior/Vets Trophy) 18th and 20th July (2 Day Challenge). All of these comps are in ig so sign in or contact reception. I am reminded that the 2 Day Comp announces payment on 2 days - YOU ONLY PAY ON THE TUESDAY - ONCE!! Last notice - Stuart Miles sent out his invitation for the Devon trip next year, in the hope of attracting enough seniors early enough to warrant a discount. There are now only 2 weeks left before that discount disappears, so if you are interested, get in touch with Stuart: shmiles58@gmail.com Today's Multiplier Report: Despite at least half a dozen senior pairs doing battle in knockout competitions around the course, no fewer than 38 other members turned out for the tally draw. Twelve threeballs and a pair with a ghost player teed off to contest a Multiplier event. The course was in fantastic condition with greens getting faster all the time, the weather was warm with a gentle breeze and there were no excuses for poor cards. No Ballsweep today. There were three prizes in total: Multiplier Result: First: Fred Court, Peter Taylor and John Kelty - 125 points Second: Paul Wallace-Jones, Andy Mitchell and Keith Hawthorn - 111 points Third: Chris Jacques, Tony Jackson and Irwin Elkin - 104 points

Individual Stablefod June 27th 2023. Report from Mike Healey and report from Malcolm ref Aldersey Green match

Seniors - the ranks were split today with Malcolm Williams taking his senior team over to Aldersey Green. I believe no fewer than 20 members made the journey and were required to do battle (report to follow). We received an excellent welcome today as we once again renewed fixtures with Aldersey Green. They kindly gave each player a small welcome pack of tees, marker, pencil and divot repairer because the action took centre stage! Matches were extremely closely fought with some being decided on the 18th green! Clays finally emerged winners by 5 and a half to 4 and a half. We enjoyed a friendly and sporting day with the course in excellent condition and a very tasty meal after our games with our opponents. We now look forward to welcoming them back to Clays on Thursday, 10th August. Mal Other seniors are still involved in Knockout rounds leaving 18 seniors for today's tally draw and kitty competition. Andy Mitchell kindly took charge of proceedings in the absence of the committee members over at Aldersey. There wasn't a kitty comp. scheduled as such, by name because of the match and the ongoing knockout rounds, so an individual Stableford transpired and 18 cards were handed in. The forecast rain was on cue early doors but jackets came off just after 9.00am and the warm conditions were just right for our golf. There was no ballsweep today and the four prizes were won by the following players (a few needed countback to divide them): Individual Stableford First: Peter Taylor - 45 points Second: Andy Mitchell - 41 points (c/b) Third: Bob Jarvis - 41 points (c/b) Fourth: Paul Wallace-Jones - 39 points (c/b) Dave Jones also carded 39 points but just missed out on countback. Other cards of note - Tony Jackson on 36 points and I must report Fred Court's 35 points, including a magnificent Birdie on the 3rd hole - we won't mention the non-scoring holes.

Seniors Memorial Trophy results June 22nd 2023. Report from Mick Healey

What a magnificent day for the Senior section of Clays Golf. Don Wraight arrived early for the distribution of photos of past players, on each of the starter tees. It means a lot to some of the current players, who remember their colleagues of the past and that is what the Memorial Trophy is all about. In response to that, we must have had some sort of record today, to have 57 seniors turn up for the tally draw. Thinking caps went on and we got everybody away asap (not easy) off 3 tees into the glorious weather that persisted throughout the day. Timing was not at all bad around the course, but given the numbers, resolution of cards, collection of money and presentations, all took a little longer than usual. There was a lot of conviviality in the dining/bar area and the atmosphere was brilliant throughout. Chris Jacques (Senior Captain) conveyed his thanks to all for the turnout, held a minute's silence for past players and proceeded to present the prizes and Memorial Trophy to the eventual winner. The ballsweep was hotly contested, with no less than 5 players scoring twos: Mike Parks, Richard Collier and Fred Court on the fifth hole and Don Wraight and Stewart Poole on the twelfth hole. There were 9 prizes in total for the main event: Memorial Trophy: First and Memorial Trophy Recipient: Paul Wallace-Jones 45 points Second: Dave Palferman 43 points Third: Ian Jones 41 points Fourth: Chris Blazdell 40 points (c/b) Fifth: Ralph Hardy 40 points (c/b) Sixth: Barry Dare 39 points (c/b) Seventh: Eric Thwaites 39 points (c/b) Eighth: Ian Ketland 39 points (c/b) Ninth: Mike Hollings 38 points (c/b) Bob Brown and Bob Jarvis also carded 38 points but missed out on count back.

Kitty competition June 20th 2023. Report from Mike Healey et al

My thanks to Don and Steve for organising the golf today. Don sent this report through - Bruce Willis would have been proud today...11 ( Die Hard ) Seniors showed up today for golf albeit 2 in a singles knockout. Leaving 9 in the kitty comp but 1 player submitting a handicap card. Weather was very wet, rain falling up to 9.30 hence a delay in starting but from then on perfect conditions. Sun shone and the course was magnificent. We made a decision to have bunkers GUR as they were so wet. An individual Stableford was played. Good scores from all with Alan Barnsdale winning with a fantastic score of 45pts grrrrrrrr from Don Wraight on 38pts.

Devon results 2023 from Stuart Miles

Great week helped by superb weather and good company. Ramnee Trophy. Total accumulative points over 4 days. 1st Liam Roddis 167 points. 2nd Nev Bassett 162 points. 3rd Mike Scott 151 points. Forrest Chaless. Best net score on any day. 2 tied for the trophy. Les Williams and Mike Scott both with a net 62. 28 My A*** Trophy. Most 4 points or better over 4 days. Nev Bassett with 8. (winner for four straight years.) Congratulations to the winners.

Pairs both scores count June 15th. Report from Steve Monk

Despite 3 separate away trips today, involving around 24 players, we still had 36 players turning up for the kitty competition. To acknowledge the high turnout, and the continuing great weather, we decided to make the competition a pairs-both-scores-to-count format. On return to the clubhouse, one or two players were upset about this as they felt they had been held up by the slightly slower play involved, so apologies to them. The remainder enjoyed the day and some played very well! The course is immaculate, both in appearance and in playing characteristics. Results were:- 1st - Barry Evans (44) and Tom Blackshaw (36) - total of 80 points. 2nd - Stan Roberts (36) and Peter Taylor (35) - total of 71 points. 3rd - George Hughes (34) and Chris Jacques (36) - total of 70 points. 4th - Alan Barnsdale (35) and Peter Fraser (34) - total of 69 points

Golf report June 13th 2023 from Steve Monk

We had a superb morning for golf, with little or no breeze and wall-to-wall sunshine. Several umbrellas-acting-as-parasols were in use! 26 turned up to play, so we added a ghost player and played in 9 x 3-balls. By consensus we played 'Best Two Scores at Each Hole' to make the game fairly quick, bearing in mind the heat. All 9 teams competing matched or improved on par, and there were 3 prizes available. The top 3 were: 1st - Chris Jacques, Tom Bradshaw and Bob Jarvis, with 83 points. 2nd - Fred Court, Brian Beaton and Peter Taylor, with 82 points. 3rd - Ian Ketland, Peter Lynch and Colin Williams, with 81 points.

Prestatyn Seniors Open 2023

You have already had our kitty comp winners for Prestatyn but the official winners for the Open have just pinged in from Brian Beaton. Please read on: First: Dave Palferman and Richard Collier (41 points) Clays Second: Dave A Jones and Nigel Davies (40 points) (c/b) Clays Third: Dennis Wolsterhome and Steve Parker (40 points) (c/b) Other Fourth: Paul Wallace-Jones and Stuart Leyland (39 points) Clays All four pairs won varying amounts in vouchers, to be spent in the pro shop at Prestatyn GC - Brian will have the details. Five individuals scored 2's in the ballsweep, including Alan Barnsdale (Clays) Our thanks again go to Brian for his general organisation and work both before and after the day.

Individual Stabeford June 8th 2023. Report via Malcolm Williams

We had a good turn-out of 23 members today bearing in mind a large number were at Prestatyn Open. We held an Individual Stableford Competition and Peter Fraser emerged as the winner with an outstanding score of 41points (including a blob on the 11th!). Results as follows:- 1st:- Peter Fraser - 41pts; 2nd:- Graham Bryne 37pts; 3rd:- Malcolm Williams – 36pts; 4th:- Bill Kelleher – 35pts; 5th:- John Kelty – 35pts (c/b); 6th:- Keith Hawthorn – 35pts (c/b); Cheers, Mal

Captains News letter May 2023

Captain's Newsletter: May 2023 May has arrived and with that some good weather at last so get the suncream in your bag. Mark and his team have taken advantage of the good weather and have carried out extensive work on the course and the putting area. The course is in fantastic condition thanks to all their hard work, so, I ask that we all do our own little bit and rake bunkers repair pitch marks and replace divots to keep the course in tip top shape. Competitions This month is really starting to busy up now with the Honours Board competitions well under way. Results and next board comp. rounds can be accessed on ‘ig’. Our teams and individual members are involved in various fixtures at Clays and other clubs, so best of luck to all. Well done to the senior team traveling to Old Padeswood and coming away with a fantastic 7 – 1 victory. Congratulations to Alan Barnsdale on winning the Karen Griffiths Trophy with Nett 66, and to Chris Jacques and Bill Kelleher on winning the Seniors Gemini Trophy with a combined score of 133. A big thanks to all who took part. There are plenty more opportunities coming up so please enter as many competitions as you can to support the club. Ladies Report We have been able to catch up with our Monthly Medal and Stableford Qualifier competitions as the weather and course conditions have improved. Attendance has been increasing with a great turnout of 17 ladies one week who played either the comp or social golf, followed by food and drink in the Clubhouse. The Ladies section commenced their NWLCS matches the first match away at Royal St Davids in Harlech, a great team performance however on this occasion a home win for Harlech. We look forward to their return visit to Clays. In The Daily Mail Foursomes Competition, played at Carden Park, Jane Evans and Bev Hood have progressed through to the next round. By all accounts a thrilling match to the 18th Hole. In the Purves Cup Foursomes, played at Conwy Golf Club, Jane Evans and Sue Falcus also achieved a win in their first round. We have received approval from Wales Golf to run Ladies New 2 Golf lessons. The first group participating, identifid through Wales Golf are scheduled to commence lessons on June 1st on a six week programme. Initially this was planned for May however due to holiday commitments from some of the Group who will be attending, this date has had to be pushed back. An expression of interest has been forwarded to Sport Wales to apply for an equipment grant for the Ladies New 2 Golf programme. We are currently waiting to hear if we are allowed to proceed forward with a formal application. As we are requesting a small grant we are optimistic this will be given due consideration at this stage. My thanks to Jane Evans for organising and co ordinating the Ping team and their fixtures, I wish all those involved great success. The Clays Ladies Open on Wednesday July 12th, a fixture which has not been on our calendar for a number of years has teams participating represented from a number of Clubs, with only a few remaining tee times now available. Hopefully the weather will be kind with a great day planned. The ladies Section are also now in receipt of fleece gilets with the Clays logo and together with polo shirts from last year are ready for the season ahead. My thanks to Shan Lady Vice Captain and a great team of ladies supporting the Section in various roles. And finally We are currently looking for a Safeguarding /Welfare Officer, and a Junior Organiser, in order to try to encourage new young members to join our club. These are important positions so if any members are interested, or if you know of anyone who would be interested in these roles, please get in touch with myself or any member of the council. In the next few weeks we are hoping to agree on the type of toilets to be located on the course. Don’t forget as mentioned above the three R,s Rake, Repair and Replace and most of all enjoy your golf. Kind Regards, Michael Club Captain

Seniors Fourbal. June 6th 2023. Report via Mike Healey

Another good turn out for today's kitty comp. 38 members went into the draw - 10 groups with the 2 front runner groups employing a ghost player. The event was a Fourball - 3 to Count with 3 prizes for the winning groups. The majority wore shorts following the 19 deg. forecast but there were one or two comments about being cool in the nether regions as it got no higher than 14 degs. Unfortunately, the organiser cannot control the weather. The groundstaff have been working hard and given the great course condition, there was no excuse for poor golf today. We were not disappointed, with scoring tight at the top and lots of countback required. Read on: Fourball - 3 to Count: First: Don Wraight, Mike Griffiths, Stewart Poole and (Ghost) - 126 points (c/b) Second: Mike Hollings, Peter Lord, Bob Jarvis and Tony Jackson - 126 points (c/b) Third: Chris Jacques, Alan Bottomley, Mike Parks and Graham Bryne - 124 points (c/b) In unofficial 4th place - Wynn Jenkins, Colin Evans, Tom McGrady and Bill Kelleher also carded 124 points but were beaten on c/b. The next two groups both had 123 points, so scoring was very tight indeed. Well done all.

Seniors June medal June 1st 2023. Report from Mike Healey

Let's start with the weather - cool start with a gentle breeze developing into a warm sunny day. They were ideal conditions, once again, for golf, so why did we hear so many excuses in the clubhouse? The most popular and repeated line today was "the card was rolling nicely until I had an 8 (or a 9 - or a 10)." It was quite comical after a while. I think most of us suffered because it was simply individual stroke play. The greens had been watered and caught a few of us out, in terms of speed but really it was just you against the course - now history!! Congratulations to those members who did manage to score well and a mention of the ballsweep - Jon Falcus shot a 2 on the 5th hole and Barry Dare gained his share of the money with a 2 on the 17th hole. The top three in each division read as follows: June Medal Result Division 1: First: Alan Barnsdale - 70 (c/b) Second: Tony Jackson - 70 (c/b) Third: Paul Wallace-Jones - 72 Division 2: First: Stewart Poole - 68 Second: Bill Kelleher - 69 (c/b) Third: Sean McCarthy - 69 (c/b) Division 3: First: Tom Pierce - 68 Second: Bob Jarvis - 69 (c/b) Third: Dave A Jones - 69 (c/b