Xmas Stableford result from Mike Healy/Andrew Mitchell December 23rd 2021

Overnight rain made ground conditions a little sticky but grey skies with murky conditions turned out a little better than the doom laden forecast. Twelve stalwarts avoided last minute shopping and the scores were tight at the top. Remember there was an added bottle of wine to play for!!! Xmas Stableford Result: First: Mick Carnell 29 points Bottle of Wine Second: Alan Barnsdale 28 points (c/b) Third: Bill Kelleher 28 points (c/b) My thanks go to Andy Mitchell for overseeing the tally draw, resolving cards and sending the result through. I will send an end of year list of winning stats and January Calendar after the 28th and 30th results come in. May I also take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very Merry Xmas and I look forward to seeing you all, with brand new clubs, for a New Year Waltz on the 4th January

Captains Newsletter December 2021

Published on 21st December 2021 It is the time of year to say thanks to various people who have contributed to another successful year at our golf club. Firstly, I would like to thank members of the Club Council, past and present, for giving up some of their spare time to ensure the smooth running of the members section. Similarly, thanks to the Seniors Committee who have been extremely active in managing the biggest section of our club. A special mention must go to Mike Healy, who as the senior kitty comp organiser, has gone that extra couple of miles. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Josh, Andy and Russ for the management of golf reception and BRS messages. Members appreciate it is not always easy to satisfy everyone all of the time, especially when adverse weather conditions result in course restrictions. We have certainly had some adverse weather in the past couple of weeks. So, thanks once again to Mark and his team for keeping the course playable. I am pleased to report the seniors Christmas party passed without incident, mainly thanks to Haley. At the end of the event Hayley was on hand to prevent one inebriated member, no name mentioned, from summersaulting down the stairs. The said member was last seen cuddling the post at the top of the steps outside! Hayley has been instrumental in organising social events at the club this festive season. We should all be grateful for the effort Hayley puts in to organise these events. A new year’s resolution for all members; support social events at our club in 2022 and beyond! The Alzheimer’s Society (Captains Charity) have asked me to pass on their thanks and Christmas wishes. We have raised well over a thousand pounds for the charity so far and hope to make a final donation at the end of my Captains year. Thanks to all members who have made a donation to this worthy cause. Finally, have a great festive period and I look forward to seeing you all on the golf course in 2022. Dave Palferman Captain 2021 dpalfermam@gmail.com

Tipple competition December 31st 2021. Report from Mike Healey

Seniors - A good time was had by all! The Tipple came and everybody toppled after their Winter Warmer on the ninth hole. The weather was kind, the course is drying nicely and conditions were good for a Xmas Bash. It was great to see Don Wraight back in action and even getting himself on the prize list. There was a lot of competition at the top and countback was required for all five kitty comp prizes. Before the announcements, Senior Captain, Chris Jacques presented Mick Carnell with his outstanding Bottle of Whisky prize from the Xmas party draw (unfortunately he was in Portugal at the time - playing golf!! Shame!) and all 42 members sang Happy Birthday to Hayley and presented her with a cake for the occasion. The whole occasion was rounded off with complimentary mince pies. Pairs Betterball Result- First: Dave Jones and Mike Healey 34 points (c/b) Second: Bob Jarvis and Ernie Williams 34 points (c/b) Third: Colin Brown and Tony Jackson 34 points (c/b) Fourth: Mick Carnell and Graham Bryne 33 points (c/b) Fifth: Jon Falcus and Don Wraight 33 points (c/b) But....... there was more in terms of mini-bottles of wine for spot prizes: Organiser's Prize for Covid Durability Award: Mick Carnell and Tony Jackson Nearest the Pin (Hole1): Nigel Davies Nearest the Pin (Hole 5): Mike Healey Nearest the Pin (Hole 12): Bill Kelleher Nearest the Pin in 2 (Hole 9): Alan Barnsdale Nearest the Pin in 2 (Hole 18): Russ Adamson Longest Drive (Hole 9): Damian Atkin Looking forward - there was a straw poll concerning play on Tuesday 28th and Thursday 30th December. Between 16 and 20 members indicated that they would like to play, so there will be 5 or 6 tee times available for those members and it will be possible to organise a mini comp amongst yourselves, if you turn up at the usual time for a draw. If you can make it, there will be a final Xmas Stableford on Thursday this week.

Seniors Monthly Medal Thursday December 16th 2021

Seniors Monthly Medal Thursday December 16th 2021 Div 1 1 Ernie Williams 32 pts 2 Jonathan Falcus 31 pts 3 Richard Collier 30 pts Div 2 1 Tom McGrady 32 pts 2 Stuart Miles 29 pts 3 John Kelty 28 pts Div 3 1 Peter Martin Jones 33 pts 2 Barry Dare 30 pts 3 Peter Taylor 30 pts

Incorrect use of the rules from Fred December 2021

December 2021. I have been asked for an opinion on the following subject, namely the incorrect use of rules. The game of golf is based upon etiquette and equity, to this end a set of R&A rules have been applied to the game, rules which over time may have been revisited and updated. The more recent update gives examples for social games as opposed to competition. Social golf to me is the booking of a tee time slot and playing with a few friends for a round of golf. Competition golf where a committee representative has reserved a series of tee times and/or arranged the playing order. Kitty comps fall into this bracket. Social golf is often played with a relaxation of golf rules, perhaps to keep up the pace of play, the pace of play being the consideration for the official social golf ruling applied to a ball played out of bounds. This and other relaxations in social golf for some, become the norm and are applied in competitive golf, the consequences being equity has gone out of the window and technically false scores submitted. If your ball is out of bounds in social golf, there is now a specific rule that may be used and I am told some are applying this rule in competitive golf. I must remind you that in competitive golf your only option is “stroke and distance”, forget the social rules when in competition. Sheriff

Seniors Xmas Party December 14th 2021. Report from Mike Healey.

Senior Xmas Scramble and Party - Tuesday14th Decembder What a day!! We were all a little disappointed at the outset, that the course was closed but it did not deter us. Mark had made his decision about the course being closed and undoubtedly it would have been horrendous in terms of condition let alone reduced number of holes. What did we do? The troops that turned up early, engaged with coffee and bacon baps followed by another impromptu putting session indoors.18 holes of putting on the fast indoor carpet is a challenge but there was only one winner and Stuart Miles came through with 32 putts - well done Stuart. Golf aside - the Xmas Scramble was cancelled but Steve Monk and Don Wraight organised a superb Xmas Party for us all through Hayley. All attendees were sat at their tables by 2.00pm and there were presentations from the Devon outing in June, which were won by Tony Jackson and Stuart Leyland. The Past Captain's Day Trophy was received by Nigel Davies and the Don de Buckles Trophy (best nett medal through the year) was also presented to Peter Bowen by the Senior Captain before the meal (pictures to be addded). Chris Jacques also made a speech that covered the year and presented outgoing Senior Captain - Barry Dare with a token of thanks from the Committee. The two course Xmas feast ensued and the wine flowed throughout. The food was delivered with precision and was excellent in both quality and quantity. There were many comments about how good the food was and all members passed comment about the party being superb, given the fiasco of lockdown last year. Following the meal there was a draw for early subscription payment and Mick Carnell (currently in Portugal) picked up the bottle of whisky prize. There was also a raffle draw for the Scramble prizes: Nearside of course: Whisky - Rodney Evans, Tom McGrady, David Jones, Alan Pocklington Wine - Tony Owens, Graham Bryne, Alan Barnsdale, Bob Brown Farside of Course: Whisky - Ralph Hardy, Chris Jones, George Hughes Wine - Mike Drake, Billy Spilstead, Peter Bowen, Peter Fraser Chris Jacques also thanked Mark Jones and his groundstaff team for their continuous efforts throughout the year and presented him with a token of thanks from the senior section. This was followed by a similar thank you to Hayley for her efforts throughout the year and a thank you gift for the catering staff. Peter Bowen organised a Xmas table quiz, which was won by the club President - Gareth Roberts and table team. Don Wraight kept the David Bailey snaps going throughout, which should reflect the entire occasion and general conviviality of the party. The whole occasion was held in great spirit as we near the end of the year. Roll on 2022!!! Photos below courtesy of Don Wraight

Indoor putting results etc December 9th 2021. Report from Mike Healey

Indoor Putting - So today six turned up for coffee, baps and the lightening fast indoor putting. Three circuits were completed (18 holes) each. Colin Evans and Alan Barnsdale returned a respectable 33 putts each but the winnings were taken by Senior Captain - Chris Jacques with 31 putts. Well done all! This is also a gentle reminder about our Senior Xmas Party (as if we need one!!) Time-honoured members generally know the routine but as a committee, we are advising newcomers as to the long-tested routine. Firstly – The Scramble (Fingers crossed that it goes ahead - given the course and weather conditions currently) will start promptly at 9.00am. Please arrive in plenty of time to walk to your tee, with your team ready to start on time. Don and Steve have worked hard on sorting the teams from the sign-up list and a draw has been made on your behalf – see noticeboard. There is a complicated handicap set up for the occasion but the committee will alleviate any problems arising. Please make sure that the completed cards are handed to Mike Healey before disappearing off home for showers and glad rags. Should the course be closed we are inviting members to an indoor putting session (like today). Coffee at 9.00 and putting from 9.30 onwards. It is unlikely that Hayley will have time for bacon baps in the morning!! The Party - For new members - nearly everybody goes home to change and the dress code is jacket and tie/smart frock – your choice!! The bar will remain open throughout lunchtime but we are asking that you aim for 1.30pm return (you can arrive earlier if you wish). We need to be seated by 2.00pm as there are a number of presentations to be made in advance of the meal. Hayley will start serving food promptly at 2.15pm. There will be a table quiz throughout proceedings provided by Peter Bowen and a draw at the end of the meal. Don't forget to arrange transport home!! See you next Tuesday.

Individual Stableford and Seniors AGM December 7th 2021. Report from Mike Healey

The weather forecast for today was supposed to be horrendous at 9.00am and once again, members made note and voted with their feet. However, ten hardy souls donned their wet gear and set forth. The proposed Texas Scramble was abandoned and a succinct 9-hole X-country course was devised instead, with all playing individual stableford. As luck would have it, the showers were light early on, although the wind speed started to build and became nigh on impossible towards the end. Only when we arrived back in the clubhouse did the heavy showers begin. It also happened to be the date of the Seniors’ AGM and there was a very pleasant atmosphere around extra members arriving for the meeting and the competition prize giving. The AGM ensued with Chris Jacques being installed as the new Senior Captain and the annual committee reports (these will be published on the Senior noticeboard) were duly delivered by the officers. Steve Monk gave out information regarding the Xmas Party and a reminder about the ground staff collection. The Texas Scramble draw was also posted, prior to next week's Senior Party. Please find today's result below- Result – Individual Stableford: First: Mick Carnell 20 points £5.00 Second: Graham Bryne 19 points £3.00 Third: Mike Healey 18 points £2.00 Some photos of AGM below

Pairs Betterball November 23rd. Report from Mike Healey

What a fantastic competition we had today. Exactly 36 members turned up which made it perfect for Pairs Betterball. 9 groups set off in the fine rain, which persisted for a while and a cool breeze did not help conditions. Both fairways and semi had been or was being cut throughout and the general playing area remained sticky but the results came through nevertheless. Quite a number of cards returned between 37 and 40 points. 3 cards showed 42 points and countback went into operation but none of them were quite good enough at the end of the day. Four prizes were up for grabs - read on for the winners - Pairs Betterball First: Richard Collier and Colin Evans 48 points £7.00 each Second: Stuart Leyland and Peter Thomas 45 points c/b £5.00 each Third: Mick Carnell and Tony Jackson 45 points c/b £4.00 each Fourth: Dave Palferman and Steve Monk 43 points £2.00 each

Multiplier November 25th 2021. Report from Mike Healey.

Another glorious day for our golf!! A very chilly start was backed up by sunshine and although the temperature didn't quite hit the heights, it was pleasant enough. Numbers from an organisational point of view have been good of late and 36 once again produced exact numbers for fourball. Today we played a Multiplier where the best two scores do what it says on the tin - they multiply. "What would be a good score?" became the topic of conversation. 90 to 100 was suggested and considered to be the target. The organiser's group returned 116 stableford points and sat quite smug in the clubhouse for all of 20 minutes. At the end of the competition it was only good enough for fifth position. There were three prizes today - read on for winners. (Reminder - Winter League Round 2 next Tuesday 30th November - tally draw) Multiplier Result First: Ernie Williams, Peter Taylor, Tom McGrady, Irwin Elkin 134 points £5.00 each Second: Keith Hawthorn, Andy Mitchell, Bob Jarvis, Les Williams 126 points £3.00 each Third: Richard Collier, Dave Jones, Graham Bryne, Colin Evans 121 points £1.00 each

Captains Newletter November 2021

Captains Newsletter: November 2021 Published on 1st December 2021 News, much like the snow last weekend, is thin on the ground. Those members who have played golf post storm Arwen will have noticed some parts of the course have been re-modelled. Various trees have been severely damaged or blown over by the high winds. So, we say goodbye to the tree on the left of the 17th fairway, unfortunately the tree overhanging the right side of the 15th fairway sustained damage but on the wrong side! It will take Mark and his team of greenkeepers a couple of weeks to clear up the resultant mess, so please give them priority at all times. Your club council have been busy doing the tasks that were put on the back burner until the end of the golf season. The main task occupying council currently is the update of the Club Constitution. The update was initiated in by the introduction of the World Handicap System (WHS). Thanks to members Irwin Elkin and Steve Monk for their work updating the documents competition table to ensure compliance with WHS guidance. Council is currently working their way through the main body of the document to ensure the various sections are relevant and up to date. The final draft of the updated document will be made available to members for comment at least one month before the next club annual general meeting scheduled for Saturday 26th March. Looking forward, December brings a number of important events. The seniors section AGM is on Tuesday 7th. The required notices have been posted on the seniors section notice board. The Denbighshire Golfing Union (DGU) AGM will take place at Denbigh Golf Club on Wednesday 8th. Will members who have been invited to attend to collect DGU trophies please do your best to attend. Your vice-captain Don, will collect any unclaimed trophies awarded to members of our golf club. If you have not already done so, get your tickets from Hayley for the club Xmas party (soul night) on Saturday 11th. The seniors Xmas party takes place on Tuesday 14th. If you are in the clubhouse on this day, warning: beware somersaulting seniors! Enjoy your Xmas parties and stay safe. Dave Palferman dpalferman@gmail.com

3 Clubs and a putter result December 2nd 2021. From Mike Healey

Seniors - "Cool with a gentle breeze!" I didn't ask too many other players but IMike Healey was freezing. Our monthly medal was postponed because of hole closures so it was swapped with our Three Clubs and a Putter kitty comp. Some members had spotted the weather forecast and only 25 seniors were on show for the tally draw - very sensibleble staying at home. There was a wide range of results today - some admitted to selecting the wrong clubs - others felt that club selection was in fact correct, but the player had no control over them. Whatever the excuses, we ended up with five winners with MC once again taking the glory with another magnificent win in this particular format - King of Three Clubs. Three Clubs and a Putter Result: First: Mick Carnell 36 points £8.00 Second: George Hughes 31 points £6.00 Third: Bob Brown 30 points c/b £5.00 Fourth: Damian Atkin 30 points c/b £4.00 Fifth: Andy Mitchell 29 points £2.00

Winter league results after Round 2 from Mike Healey December 1st 2021

League Table after Round 2 Nov 16th Nov 30th Jan 4th Jan 18th Feb 8th Feb 22nd Total Rank Name Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Points 1= Frank Rodenhurst 10 3 13 1= Bill Kelleher 9 4 13 1= Mick Carnell 5 8 13 1= Richard Collier 7 6 13 5 Mike Healey 10 10 6 Alan Bottomley 9 9 7 Liam Roddis 8 8 8 Graham Bryne 7 7 9 Steve Monk 6 6 10= Tony Jackson 3 2 5 10= Mike Hollings 5 5 12 Tom McGrady 4 4 13 Ralph Hardy 2 2 14= Nigel Davies 1 1 14= Les Williams 1 1 (52 participants in Total after Round 2) Alan Barnsdale Brian Beaton Tom Blackshaw Peter Bowen Bob Brown Colin Brown Fred Court Barry Dare Mike Drake Barry Evans Colin Evans Peter Fraser Tony Harcombe Nigel Harris Ralph Howard George Hughes Harold Hughes Chris Jacques Bob Jarvis David Jones David A Jones Mike Kalka John Kelty Ian Ketland Stuart Leyland Andy Mitchell Phil Morris Dave Palferman Mike Parks Reg Peacock Stewart Poole Billy Spilsted Peter Taylor Peter Thomas Ken Tieszen Joe White Ernie Williams

Round 2 winter league November 20th 2021. Report from Mike Healey

We successfully completed Round 2 of the Winter League today, albeit only 31 members. Ten points were up for grabs but only six cash prizes. Alas, four holes were closed and we thought it might have been overnight rain but the course was remarkably dry and closures were probably down to a dozen or so trees being removed, following the weekend storms. The ground staff have already made a brilliant job of removing toppled trees from the holes that remained open. Par for the 14 hole course was around the 28 mark and quite a few cards came back with 27, 28, 29. One card came in with 30 but lost out on countback - Here are the results (League points in brackets): Winter League - Round 2 First: Mike Healey 33 points (10 pts) £9.00 Second: Alan Bottomley 32 points c/b (9 pts) £7.00 Third: Mick Carnell 32 points c/b (8 pts) £6.00 Fourth: Graham Bryne 31 points c/b (7 pts) £4.00 Fifth: Richard Collier 31 points c/b (6 pts) £3.00 Sixth: Mike Hollings 30 points c/b (5 pts) £2.00 Seventh: Bill Kelleher 30 points c/b (4 pts) Eighth: Frank Rodenhurst 30 points c/b (3 pts) Nineth: Tony Jackson 30 points c/b (2 pts) Tenth: Les Williams 30 points c/b (1 pt)

Pairs Betterball November 23rd. Report from Mike Healey

Pairs Betterball November 23rd. Report from Mike Healey What a fantastic competition we had today. Exactly 36 members turned up which made it perfect for Pairs Betterball. 9 groups set off in the fine rain, which persisted for a while and a cool breeze did not help conditions. Both fairways and semi had been or was being cut throughout and the general playing area remained sticky but the results came through nevertheless. Quite a number of cards returned between 37 and 40 points. 3 cards showed 42 points and countback went into operation but none of them were quite good enough at the end of the day. Four prizes were up for grabs - read on for the winners - Pairs Betterball First: Richard Collier and Colin Evans 48 points £7.00 each Second: Stuart Leyland and Peter Thomas 45 points c/b £5.00 each Third: Mick Carnell and Tony Jackson 45 points c/b £4.00 each Fourth: Dave Palferman and Steve Monk 43 points £2.00 each

Tango kitty competition result November 18th 2021 from Mike Healey

Another mild, if not warm day for one of our kitty comps. We have all played a "Waltz" during the course of our calendar year but I think this was our first "Tango" to date. There appeared to be a little confusion at the outset but the troops soon got into the scoring and it all became somewhat frenetic over the last three holes, when all four members of the team needed to contribute a score. 44 seniors set out in fourballs and it was calculated that around about 100 points were required to be in the frame at the end. No fewer than six teams returned 100+ - the remaining five were not far behind, but there were only three prizes!! Please find result below: Tango - Fourballs First: Stewart Poole, Barry Dare, Dave Jones, Peter Taylor 109 points £6.00 each Second: Jon Falcus, Tom Blackshaw, Malcolm Williams, Tony Jackson 105 points £3.00 each Third: Mike Healey, Nigel Harris, John Slater, Richard Collier 103 points c/b £2.00 each Footnote - The November calendar has disappeared from the board so I am attaching another copy. Mike Healey

Poppy day appeal final donations from Don Wraight------Vice Captain

A big thank you to all those who donated to the Poppy Day Appeal. In total we raised £560 last week. Arrangement are being made to present the Royal British Legion with a cheque for £1028. Last year the Seniors raised £468 which, due to the pandemic was unable to be presented to them. Hopefully we can present them at the Seniors AGM on the 7th December Once again thanks to all who generously gave. Don wraight Vice Captain

Round one Winter league result November 16th from Mike Healey

There was cracking turn out for Round 1 of the Clays Senior Winter League - no fewer than 48 members appeared for the tally draw at 8.45am. Twelve fourballs headed out and although the course remains damp in places, it did not stop some very good scoring. League points were up for grabs (1 to 10) and a kitty comp was run simultaneously (1st 8 positions only). Anybody coming in around the 36 points mark or below was heading for disappointment and even some 37 points lost out on countback. There will be an updated table after each round, starting after Round 2 on the 30th November. Please find results below with points and cash prizes - (League points in brackets): First: Frank Rodenhurst 42 points (10pts) £10.00 Second: Bill Kelleher 41 points c/b (9pts) £8.00 Third: Liam Roddis 41 points c/b (8pts) £7.00 Fourth: Richard Collier 39 points (7pts) £6.00 Fifth: Stevev Monk 38 points c/b (6pts) £5.00 Sixth: Mick Carnell 38 points c/b (5pts) £4.00 Seventh: Tom McGrady 37 points c/b (4pts) £3.00 Eighth: Tony Jackson 37 pointds c/b (3pts) £1.00 Ninth: Ralph Hardy 37 pointds c/b (2pts) Tenth: Nigel Davies 37 points c/b (1pt)

Ken Lawrence Memorial Trophy November 11th 2021. Report from Mike Healey

The Ken Lawrence Memorial Trophy was added to our fixture list years ago following Ken's demise, firstly, in memory of a longstanding Captain and legend in the senior section. Secondly, it is always placed in the November calendar in conjunction with our section's Poppy Day Appeal and our contribution to the Royal British Legion. Club Vice-Captain, Don Wraight has advertised this year's event for some while now and a variety of posters have adorned the clubhouse. Today extra posters appeared on the first tee so that other club members might also want to contribute to the cause. Don then proceeded to the first tee with a camera and became David Bailey in order to record the Seniors as a group, early drives and the presentation at the end of the day. Today it was an honour and pleasure to take part in the competition. No fewer than 48 seniors placed their tallies on the board and 12 fourballs set out to do battle. Apart from some light drizzle around 10.00am the weather conditions were benign and although the surface is still a little sticky, players were finding the extra distance in reaching the greens. It didn't matter what the individual scores were at 11.00am - a siren went off and the entire course stood still for the scheduled two minutes in memory. Apart from the Seniors who knew what to expect, it was also commendable that younger playing members followed suit and honoured the tradition. The troops returned to the clubhouse and the entry fee had been set at £5.00, to be returned with completed cards. The generosity of the Seniors knows no bounds, as most members threw £10.00 into the collection. Seniors apart, added contributions were being taken by Andy in reception and the box will remain there until Tuesday of next week but suffice it to say that over £400.00 was donated by the Senior section alone on the day. Steve Monk (Hon Treasurer) will release a final figure sometime next week and the sum total will be presented by the Senior Captain, Barry Dare in the future to the British Legion. What about a result? No fewer than 3 cards returned showed 36 points, which were commendable but not good enough on the day. Richard Collier returned a very good 39 points, only to find himself in Runners Up position. Today's winner was Alan Barnsdale with 40 points and following a short speech, Barry presented Alan with the Ken Lawrence Memorial Trophy and first and only prize of a bottle of Penderyn Legend. A good day had by our members and a brilliant response from the Seniors in their Poppy Day generosity Don Wraight, Club Vice Captain supplied lots of photos of the day and they can be seen below. Thanks Don