THE newly appointed lady captain, Ruth Scott, had a very successful day on the first playing day of her captaincy.

Supported by a group of some 80 ladies, Ruth, with an impeccable swing, successfully drove two balls from the first tee straight down the middle of the fairway.

Each lady member present had purchased a plastic marker in aid of charity and Muriel Saville and Pauline Belsham's markers were closest to the finishing position of the two drives and each received a bottle of wine presented to them by the lady captain.

A total amount of £93 was raised for the two charities nominated by Ruth during her year of office. All monies raised during the year will be shared between SPARKS (Sports Aiding Medical Research for Kids) and the Pelican Cancer Foundation, which specialises in pelvic and liver cancer research and treatment.

On a dry and sunny morning, there followed a 12-hole alliance, the winners being the team of Liz Evans, Corrine Mills and Alison Tuck who scored 54 points. Suzanne Hamilton, April Wilding and Julia Radley were the runners up with 51 points and, in third place, the team of Jill Piner, Maureen Riley and Fran Jackson-Dooley, who scored 49 points.

For the Fathers and Sons competition, the green staff had worked extremely hard to make the course playable. With days of heavy rain, the course was in surprisingly good condition although wet and heavy under foot in certain areas.

Mike and Mark Read were the winners with a Stableford score of 36 points. Paul and Christopher Hothersall were second and Colin and Christopher Goodrum third.

With winter golf now in full swing, the ever popular mixed competitions have commenced and a full field of 64 players competed in the first competition, a mixed four ball alliance.

In first place with the exceptional score of 78 points, given the weather conditions, was the team of Andy Greene, April Wilding and Paul and Jenny Butler.

Two teams returned identical scores of 73 points and could only be separated on the count back system. As a result the team of Mark and Suzanne Hamilton partnered by John and Marcia McFarland was placed second and Alan and Kate Foster, with Brian and Linda Marsh were third.

Mark Read, Liz Evans, Vic Hammond and Hazel Cartledge were fourth with a score of 70 points and in fifth place, with a score of 69 points was the team of club vice captain, Barry Schofield, playing with his wife Sandra and the former lady captain, Jane Tromans, and John Flanagan.

The lady captain Ruth Scott presented the prizes to the winners.

The junior section held a pairs invitation competition divided into two divisions.

The seven-hole competition was won by nine year old Sam Watts, and Alan Watts, with 10-year-old James Kerry and Steve Kerry, in second place. In the 18-hole competition, two 14-year-olds, Richard Tuck and James Kear, were the winners, with 13-year-old William Bishop and Andy Bishop, in second place.