ROMILEY GOLF CLUB

November/December 2015 Newsletter

Another fantastic double rainbow picture down the tenth.

Taken by Peter Drinkwater,

Friday, 13th November at 14.35 hrs.

Stableford, 1st and 5th November

1st Hilary Craven, 28 points Rebecca Byle, 24 points Janet Godfrey, 25

cpo with Sally Hebden

November Lottery

2nd Joyce Glynn 1st Martin Arrowsmith 3rd Phil Barwick

£48 £90 £28

Martin and Joyce were both in the clubhouse to hear their numbers drawn out

but Phil had literally just left a few minutes before the draw!

In memory of Fred Wibberley

28th August 1936—29th October 2015

Fred was born in Hyde and attended Hyde Grammar School. He went on to study

mechanical engineering at night school and his work for Renolds took him all over

Europe. He was keen on most sports but particularly enjoyed his visits to the TT races

in the Isle of Man where he gave advice and fitted chains as part of his job; it’s not

surprising that he loved his work.

In 1960 Fred married Julia who he had met at Hyde Seal Swimming Club and they

lived most of their married life in Hyde, raising their two children, Richard and

Russell. Russell now lives in Australia but Richard, his partner and two children live in

Gee Cross.

Fred thought golf was a sissy sport until his workmates, when they were learning to

play, were short of a teammate and challenged Fred to play. On that day he caught the

bug and joined Reddish first of all, playing in the Stockport Express Golf League and

acting as Competition Secretary. He joined Romiley GC in 1981 and played as often as

he could. Many junior members have Fred to thank for his keen support and

encouragement at the start of their golfing career.

Fred’s health problems began at the age of 7 or 8 when he developed rheumatic fever

which left him with a heart murmur. In 1990 he underwent triple by-pass surgery and

this lead to his early retirement.

It was on the 16th on his beloved golf course that he was taken ill. The paramedics

attended, the ambulance drove down the 16th to his side and then the helicopter landed

on the 16th fairway and flew him off to hospital, but, unfortunately, two days later he

passed away.

He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his family and golfing buddies.

Thank you to all the helpers —9th November, 2015

Once again all the unsung

heroes, 63 of them, were

invited to a “thank you”

evening with cheese, pate,

wine and drinks available, and

the praise and thanks were

given to the helpers by Mike

Bury. Events at which these ladies and gentlemen assisted included all the Opens, the Am

Am and the Young Farmers’ Show, plus the Brash Lads who turn up in all weathers every

Thursday to help the Greens’ staff.

This year has been another good year for the open competitions. There was an increase in

the entries for the revamped Men’s Open/Kinsey and a record number of entries for the 2nd

Seniors’ Open with 172 players. It’s pleasing to know also that we already have 176

bookings for next year’s Opens.

Visitors regularly praise RGC for the warm welcome they receive and the slick organisation

of the Open events. The smiling faces at the “Meet and Greet” and the registration desk are

very much appreciated.

Catering plays a major role on these days and unfortunately, this year, that has not been

ideal. However, with Ken and Pam now in charge the Club can confidently go forward to

next year.

Thank you to everyone in all these

areas, and we hope to see you all

again next year. Please let Mike

know of anyone who would be

willing to help; there’s always a job

for a willing volunteer.

GOLF FROM A DOG’S POINT OF VIEW

Commentator He’s been under Par all morning.

Dog Poor chap, give him an Aspirin.

Commentator What a beautiful chip.

Dog Never mind the chip, I’ll have a sausage.

Commentator He’s a firm grip on his driver.

Dog That’s no way to treat your chauffeur.

Commentator That’s a bogey.

Dog Disgusting.

Commentator Now at the 11th Tee.

Dog Tea? Maybe just a slice of fruit cake.

Commentator Difficult to get up and down from there.

Dog I have that problem with this Sofa.

Commentator That leaves him with a Sand Wedge.

Dog Did he say Sandwich?

Commentator What a Drive. That ball has gone over 300 yards.

Dog Blimey. I’m not fetching that.

4 BBB, 14th November, 2015

Phil Cody & Tommy Ormerod

Phil Hart & Graeme Nuttall,

34 pts

Mr President & David Cole,

34 pts

Is this yours?

All applications to the

editor, please

21st November, 2015, Greensome pairs

1st John Wallworth & Tommy Ormerod 34

2nd Paul Wagstaff & Nick Gorman 32

3rd Mark Smith & Al Martin 32

With his second consecutive win, Tommy Ormerod is the man to partner. Phil

Cody was the beneficiary the previous week and John Wallworth was the lucky

one this Saturday.

Invitation Turkey Trot, 12th November, 2015

It was the first day for the dreaded mats, brought into use because of the horrendous

rain experienced in the days before, but, the fairways and greens looked lush and

healthy and the course had drained well. Several balls were lost in piles of leaves but it

was a small price to pay; the sun shone and members and visitors experienced

exceptional conditions for November.

It was the first day also for turkey, and very nice it was too, with stuffing etc, and lovely

chips. A shotgun start ensured that all the ladies ate together and Lady Captain

presented the prizes.

The winners with 57 points (best two scores to count) were:

Elsie Heyward, Ann Jackson and Rebecca Byle.

2nd: Lady Vice Captain Irene Barrow, guest Joan Mellor

from Werneth Low, and Val Bonser with 53 points.

14 hole Stableford, team event, 19th November, 2015

1st: Lady Captain Janet Worthington, Hilary Craven and Lesley Williams

2nd: Lady Vice Captain Irene Barrow, Val Bonser and Francine Walburn

3rd: Janet Godfrey Pam Cunnington and Sandra Hewitt

Ladies’ back 9 Waltz, 26th November, 2015

1st: Val Bonser Janet Godfrey and Irene Barrow (once again)

2nd: Barbara Leith, Alison Reed and Jan Harman

3rd: Sandra Hewitt, Teresa Hogg and Jill Woolstencroft.

Dennis Hallsworth

79 years old

Dennis Hallsworth was a local lad born and

bred in Stockport. He worked all his life as a

pattern maker in the local area.

He has been a member of Romiley Golf Club

for nearly thirty years and certainly made a

niche for himself in the community. He was

an active member enjoying competitive and

social games of golf regularly. In 2001 he

won the Jubilee Cup and in 2003 he won the

Victory Medal.

For the last three years Dennis has been a

social member of the Club rather than an

active competitor and it was fitting that the

last social event organised on his behalf

should have been at the Golf Club of which

he thought so much.

Proud to be British

Some people take their golf extraordinarily seriously. One such group of die-

hards were the proprietors of the Richmond Golf Club in Surrey, England, who

drafted an interim set of rules explaining what players must do should Nazi

aircraft bomb the greens mid-game.

Your editor believes that stiff, upper lips these days are the result of taking

Viagra and Botox!!

Stableford 4 Man Team, Saturday, 28th November, 2015

Gary Evans & Simon Hebden & Mike Clarke & Rod Highton 86

Matt Reid Alan Walker Dave Loughman Jim Reid 86

Joe Pannett & Jim Millington & Chris Broster & Ian Bainbridge 83

Autumn Extravaganza, Saturday, 14th November 2015

Over 80 members and guests turned up for the Autumn Extravaganza and we

all had a really enjoyable, relaxing evening.

The singer, Neive Jordan, came on around 8.30 and began her spot before the

Captain could announce her! She was amazing, with a repertoire which

encompassed all genres from soul to swing and from the latest hits to golden

oldies. The place was really buzzing with everyone talking and laughing and

the bar staff were rushed off their feet with a constant stream of customers.

Eventually the Lady Captain announced that the food was ready and we went

downstairs where Pam and Ken had prepared us a scrumptious hot buffet.

There was a choice of pasta, chicken pie or vegetable stir fry but I think almost

everyone decided on sampling all three! They were all delicious and second

helpings were available!

Nieve began her second spot and was now joined on the dance floor by

members and guests of variable skill levels. There were a few Jeremy Vines, the

odd Peter Andre, several Carol the Weatherladies, and two or three Jamelias,

but, much to my dismay, Georgia never turned up! (If you don’t watch

“Strictly Come Dancing” you won’t have a clue

of what I’m talking about! Sorry.)

As usual. all good things must come to an end.

Nieve finished her set, the bar closed and the

taxis began to arrive. Thanks to all of you who

worked so hard to put on such a great event and

also to those who on the night kept us fed and

watered; Ellie, Graham and Zach on the bar;

the young ladies who served our food; and Pam

and Ken for cooking such a superb spread.

The booking form for New Year’s Eve is now up,

so put down your names for another brilliant

evening.

Chris Broster—scribe

The Fourth Hole

The observant amongst us will have noticed that the right hand side of the

fourth fairway is gradually being improved by the Brash Gang.

Just over the fence from the 4th these two lakes have appeared at the entrance

to where the RYF Show is held. The first is named in honour of the discoverer,

Peter Milnes. The second is named after our Incomes Director as there are so

many reeds visible.

9 hole Stableford, Friday, 27th November, 2015

1st David Bakewell 17 cpo 2nd Keith Selby 17 cpo 3rd Charles Bennett 17

Alpacas?

Keeping Fit by Playing Golf

Recent studies have found that, on average, golfers walk about 900 miles a year.

Astonishing.

Another study found golfers, drink 22 gallons of alcohol a year.

This means that, on average, golfers get 41 miles to the gallon.

Looking for a ball to the far

right of the 16th tee your editor

thought he was seeing things.

Just over the fence in the field

above he spied an animal not

usually seen in the UK.

These animals are usually

found in the Andes at heights

over 11,000 feet.

Texas Scramble, back 9, 3rd December, 2015

Three teams had a two and each lady will receive £1. Well done ladies!

1st: Val Bonser, LVC Irene Barrow (once again), and Sally Hebden, 35.09

2nd: Janet Godfrey, Audrey Jones and Marcia Conway, 35.25

3rd: Sandra Hewitt, Teresa Hogg and Gill Walker , 36.25

Dining at Romiley Golf Club in the New Year with

Ken and Pam Turney

Sunday Lunch 10th January, 2016

12.00 hrs to 14.00 hrs

Steak and Fish Evening Friday, 15th January, 2016

18.00 hrs onwards

Burns Supper Saturday, 23rd January, 2016

19.30 hrs onwards

Valentine Theme Saturday, 13th February, 2016

19.00 hrs onwards

Denis Meynell

24th August, 1920 to 4th December, 2015

Denis was born in West Hartlepool and moved to London aged 18 to work in

the Fleet Air Arm Offices. During the war he was moved around all over the

place and it was when he was posted to Coventry that he met Lal. They moved

to Stafford and married in 1942. Later they moved to Newcastle-under-Lyme

where Denis worked in NHS Records. He rose through the ranks and finally

moved to Ashton-Under-Lyne DHSS Office as Manager until he retired.

Denis started playing golf at Westerhope GC in Newcastle. Denis and Lal

joined Romiley Golf Club in 1979 and particularly enjoyed playing in the

mixed competitions. Lal had been a good hockey player in Ireland and soon

took to golf. Lal died in 1996.

Denis and Lal were very family orientated. There are three wonderful sons,

nine grandchildren and lots of great grandchildren. Denis will be sadly missed

not only for his jokes but his friendly, warm manner. A perfect gentleman.

Joyce Bayley

(Sister, former golfer at Romiley GC and now a social member at our Club.)

Denis Meynell

Romiley Foursomes, Saturday, 5th December, 2015

The course was extremely wet underfoot and there was a howling wind but

Martin and Harry looked as though they were out for a stroll in summertime.

1st Harry Parker and Martin Arrowsmith 29 pts

2nd Roly Hewitt and Nick Madden 29 pts 3rd Craig Oakes and Alex Barber—Bennett

Ball Marker

Pictured on the right is Barry

Broadhurst’s ball marker, an old

penny.

So what, you might say ‘til you

look at the date:

1897

The year our golf club opened!!

Barry had only just realised this

recently!!

Vets’ Stableford, Friday, 11th December, 2015

1st Ken Wykes 17 2nd Malcolm Booker 17 3rd Roly Hewitt 17

Our Club Web Site

This dramatic picture (taken by a drone) is on our Club website. Not many of

our members are on the social media site Facebook.

You can now view our Facebook entries without being a member of Facebook.

Just go to our website at www.romileygolfclub.org. On the front page you will

see “News.” Click on that and up comes the newsletters. At the bottom is a

direct link to Facebook.

Try it!

Quiz Night, Friday, December 11th, 2015

The winners

Sue Selby, John and Joyce Glynn, Keith Selby

Our Inquisitors 2nd:

Chris and Rachel Broster Peter and Judi Howcroft Ken and Sue Hodder

Because he was a dirty, double crosser!

What a delightful, fun-filled evening. Chris Broster produced a gentle

quiz that most of us could attempt to answer. Without doubt, the

favourite round was called “Riddles.” The room was shrouded in doubt

and brains could be seen going into overdrive. The one that caused the

most problems and NO-ONE got right was, “Why did the chicken cross

the road, roll in the dirt, and cross back again?”..... Well??

To add spice to the evening Ken and Pam Turney served a delicious

curry. Thank you to Chris and Rachel for their work in creating such a

successful event.

Christmas Draw and 9 hole team competition

Sunday, 13th December, 2015

The format was two best scores to count with all to count on the par threes, and

conditions were much better than the forecasters would have us believe. There

were a few temporary greens but the rain and wind stayed away and the scores

were good.

The winner on the front 9 with 49

points was Steve Shiels, deserted by

his partners Steve Denton, Eric

Jones and John Dineen.

2nd on the front 9 after cpo: Dave Ball, Dave

Smith, Paul Mellor and Gary Evans with 49

points

The winners of the

back 9 with a

fabulous 52 points:

Anne Harrison,

Audrey Jones,

Dave Bowden and

Steve Harrison.

In 2nd place on the back 9

with 48 points:

Pauline Whitehead, Pam

Cunnington, Alan

Whitehead and Bill

Barrow.

After the golf and lovely turkey or pork sandwiches with chips (Mr Vice Captain’s

first turkey of the year), the squares were drawn out and golfers and guests waited

with much anticipation. At least two people were happy with their prize, John

Walker whose name was first out of the box and won an electric golf trolley, and

Julie Frost whose name was drawn next and was the winner of a box at Manchester

United for four people. Applications for a seat to Julie please.

Many thanks to Lady Vice Captain Irene Barrow for her faultless organisation of

both the competition and the draw, for the second time because of the ladies’ new

calendar—assisted by the Vice Captain, Gary Williams this year, of course.

Winner of tickets for

four in a box at Man-

chester United, the all

of a sudden very

popular Julie Frost.

Surprised and delighted

winner of 1st prize, the

golf buggy, John

Walker.

1st prize went to Debs Kershaw who amassed

a staggering £8,200. Debs says the secret was

Lady Captain’s cocktail.

2nd: Barbara Leith, with £6,000 odd.

Should have had another

cocktail, Barbara!

3rd: Sylvia Lawton, a guest from

Werneth Low, with £5,000 odd.

George Clooney (Mr President) enjoying

himself and in much demand from the

ladies. This is one of many photo cuddles

he enjoyed.

Much discussion takes place before parting with

any tiddlywinks. Anne “Elvis” Jackson

Monte Carlo comes to Romiley, 10th December 2015

Lady Captain, happy to pose with George Clooney, David Beckham, Daniel Craig,

Pierce Brosnan and Del Boy. Brilliant.

Special appearances by the famous faces above put the icing on the cake for this year’s

casino night Ladies’ Christmas party. Another unexpected guest attended to rapturous

applause after the formal announcement, “Elvis is in the building.”

The tone was set from the start with fabulous French 77 cocktail on offer at arrival, mixed

and served by Lady Captain and definitely to be recommended (elderflower cordial, lemon

juice, gin and prosecco). Each lady was issued with £2,700 worth of chips, or tiddlywinks

and tee pegs, with which to bet on two blackjack, two roulette and one dice game. Special

rules applied for all tables, but the ladies soon worked it all out and round every table there

was a crowd waiting to bet.

With odds of up to 10 to 1 on the dice and 35 to 1 on the roulette, there was much excitement

and lots of air thumping. Jo Martin, Pam Cunnington’s daughter, had a phenomenal win on

the blackjack when she was dealt two aces, split them into two hands and then was dealt

another ace which she again split, leaving her with three hands. Then, miraculously, she was

dealt three cards each worth 10, thus making blackjack three times with one deal. The

numbers are too big to calculate the odds of that happening but Jo, like many of the ladies,

wished at that point that she had been playing with real money.

Many thanks to the gentlemen for their work on the calculators, which they thoroughly

enjoyed, Mr Captain, Mr President, Andy Reed, Derek Worthington and Bill Barrow. They

did look splendid in their DJs. Many thanks also to Ken and Pam and their team for a lovely

meal. It added so much to the event.

An Ode to Winning

Starting out slow and low

How much to bet, percentage chance

Eyeing up the others with the odd glance

The vibes increasing, the stakes getting high

Can I win or will it be a sigh

The roll of the die, the turn of the card

Then the bell goes just as I'm on a roll,

Counting up discs whist drinking the vino

They had stopped me before I cleared out the casino

Lots of dosh, if only for real

The chocolates a really great steal

Were gone in a sec, shared with the table

A drunken rabble creating fables.

The cocktail LC created was the secret of the win

Braver gambling, the result of the gin

(As was my hangover)

An exciting night,

organised well, great

company, fab croupiers.

Thanks all.

Debs Kershaw

PS Next year I'll read the

poster and know what to

wear.

Saturday, 12th December, 2015

Course closed because of continual torrential rain. The cartoon below shows

the reaction of most of the lads!!

From Peter Milnes

Marcia “Marlene” Conway

What do you

mean?

Closed.

Audrey Jones, organiser

extraordinaire, receives a

“ thank you” from Lady

Captain.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY – 5th DECEMBER 2015

After much preparation by the Ladies’ Committee, the Golf Club was ready at

3pm for the arrival of 72 children.

All the children played with the balloons on arrival (blown up again by the

Saturday players) until the entertainer “Amazing Stephen” took over. The

children loved the show - magic tricks, games, jokes and dancing.

The party tea was then served – the contents having been carefully selected

(not nutritious) and put in party boxes. After tea the children were entertained

again for a short time by “Amazing Stephen” until the arrival of Father

Christmas. They all waited in anticipation at the windows for their first

glimpse of him. Father Christmas duly arrived with his sack full of presents,

much to the delight of the children. The children all sat down close to Father

Christmas and waited for their names to be read out, quite a long wait for some

because there were so many children, so that they could collect their present.

They all seemed delighted with their carefully selected gifts. Afterwards many

children went to see Father Christmas again to tell him of their wishes.

The children, very tired, left for home and it was time for a very welcome drink

for all the many helpers. A big thank you to all who made this event such a

success.

Lady Vice Captain Irene Barrow, Amazing Stephen and Lady Captain

Janet Worthington, with the unmistakable man in red.

Captains’ Corner

Dear Fellow Member,

With no newsletter in Nov, it feels like a lot has taken place since the last

Captain’s Corner!

Certainly worthy of mention was a very pleasant helpers' evening, where all of

the volunteers who have been kind enough to donate their time to ensure the

smooth running of our Club congregated for an evening of Wine, Cheese &

Pate. I have made reference to this many times before, but there are many

people working tirelessly (and for no financial gain) behind the scenes and the

efforts of each and every one is massively appreciated.

Another recent event was a brilliant night at the Autumn Extravaganza, which

marked the formal debut of our new Caterers (Pam and Ken). It was

enlightening to see so many members and guests who have not necessarily

attended that many social events in the past, and it would seem that the trial of

a less formal dress code may have hit the spot. Going forward it is anticipated

that there will be a mix of both formal and less informal evenings, and if we can

replicate the fantastic artist and the delightful home-cooked buffet then they

the evenings are certainly going to be ones not to be missed!

Speaking of our new catering provision, Pam & Ken seem to be off to a great

start in terms of their challenging role of keeping all of us fussy golfers happy.

There have been great reviews from the various events of the past few weeks,

along with a very commendable day- to- day service provision. The only

downside from my own perspective was not being able to attend the Fish /

Steak night in November, due to a prior commitment as an invited party to the

St Anne’s Old Links Gents' dinner. I did say in a previous edition that you

cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs (with reference to finding

the right catering solutions) and I am delighted that things have set off in such

an eggstremely good manner! (Sorry!!)

As I mentioned the SAOL Gents' Dinner, I would take this opportunity to just

remind you all again that the Romiley Gents' Dinner will be held on Friday,

19th February, 2016. This always seems to be the Captain’s final swansong

(which as everyone keeps reminding me is not far away now), and I really hope

to see as many people on the list as possible when this is posted in the New Year.

Whilst referred to in other parts of the newsletter, the annual Children’s

Christmas Party & Christmas Raffle events once more proved great successes,

and once more many thanks to our Lady Captain / Lady Vice Captain and the

Ladies' Section and our Vice Captains for all their hard work in arranging

these events, along with everyone involved on each of the days.

It was actually the first time I had ever been to the Children’s party (with our

son, Oliver) and I quickly realised that was a mistake and it was fantastic to see

the bar area filled with children (and parents and grandparents) enjoying the

day immensely, which was rounded off by Santa making his way down the 10th

fairway and into our Clubhouse.

Congratulations to all of the raffle winners, including of course John Walker,

who is the proud new owner of a Motocaddy trolley and Julie Frost who will be

enjoying some corporate hospitality next year at Old Trafford (the latter being

the very kind donation once more by Rod McRoberts).

Due to the amount of fun involved, I simply have to mention my evening as a

croupier for the Ladies' Dinner. Audrey Jones had done a superb job of

dressing the room in a casino style, and I, along with my fellow croupiers had a

really fun evening trying our best at restricting the winnings for each of the

ladies present. My own personal table was “Romiley Blackjack”, and there

were a couple of members that I could see trading in their golf clubs and

spending many, many hours in Casino’s going forward!

With some more Top Dog matches to look forward to (with the Professional and

I managing to scrape through in each of our first two matches); the Vets'

Christmas lunch and of course the New Years' Eve event, the next few weeks

are certainly going to be full on, but I am sure they are going to be a lot of fun.

I will apologise in advance to anyone who is attending the Boxing Day fun

competition that I will not be there,

due to family commitments, and I

would like to wish every single

member of Romiley Golf Club and

their families, a very Merry

Christmas, and all the very best

wishes for 2016. I have been

extremely proud to have represented

our Club in 2015 as your Captain,

and I look forward very much to

moving into the New Year wearing

my Club blazer with pride!

With very best regards

Neil

LADY CAPTAIN’S CORNER – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

Well, this must sound like a record - yet another busy month for me at the Golf

Club and at home. We have acquired, for approximately 6 months, my

brother’s little dog, Gracie, from Sri Lanka. She will be with us until she starts

the next leg of her journey to Australia.

Derek and I attended the Autumn Extravaganza. We enjoyed the evening

which was attended by about 80 people. Panic set in during the preparation of

the room as the helium ran out when only half the balloons had been inflated.

Fortunately, Paul Wagstaff’s wife came to the rescue.

The Ladies’ Invitation Turkey Trot was held on 12 November, 2015. This was

supported by many ladies who after the golf all enjoyed a delicious turkey

barm and chips.

At the beginning of December the ladies’ committee, with the assistance of Bill

Barrow and Roly Hewitt, decorated the Clubhouse in readiness for the

Christmas festivities. Nick Gorman also helped by bringing all the decorations

down from the loft – thank you Nick.

The first event was the Children’s Party on 5th December – there were over 70

children and all appeared to have a great time.

The Ladies’ Section had their

Christmas Party on 10th December.

The theme this year was a Casino

Night organised by Audrey Jones and

assisted by Anne Harrison. This was a

really enjoyable evening attended by

over 50 ladies. Audrey has written a

separate article for the magazine.

Finally, I would like to take this

opportunity to wish you and your

families a very Happy Christmas and

prosperous 2016.

Lady Captain,

Janet Worthington.

President’s Ponderings

As we approach the festive season our minds should relate to white snow and

crisp frost but we seem to have been swamped by torrential rain. Yet, although

the course has had the obvious amount of wet conditions, we should reflect on

how well it has stood up to these harsh downpours which would have closed the

course too many times in recent years. This is a great credit to the Greens team

who have worked very hard to upgrade the course drainage. It is easy to forget

how bad it used to be and the substantial improvements that have been made.

Speaking about the festive season, it is always a pleasure to see the Clubhouse

festooned with all the Christmas decorations and, as grandparents, it was a

great thrill to see our granddaughters, aged 1 and 3, joining in with members’

children and grandchildren at the Children's Christmas Party. A great thank

you to the Lady Captain and her committee and their band of merry workers

for their clubhouse decoration and Children's Party which was packed and

thoroughly enjoyable.

Monte Carlo or bust. I was honoured to be asked, along with the Captain,

Andy Reed, Derek Worthington and Bill Barrow, to be surprise croupiers at the

Ladies’ Christmas Party. And what a fantastic night. The ladies all looked so

glamorous in their glitz and enjoyed a lovely meal followed by the themed

gambling which added to a great atmosphere.

The surprise croupiers were introduced with face masks of George Clooney,

David Beckham, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig and Derek Trotter and I swear

the ladies couldn't tell the difference.

The Christmas Draw was a huge success, starting with a 9 hole shotgun start. A

packed clubhouse enjoyed a very tasty and wholesome turkey or pork barm

with all the trimmings plus chips, which was followed by the draw for all the

happy recipients who had the lucky tickets.

Great news for Christmas from our Professional,

Alex, who has announced that he and his wife, Nicola,

are expecting their first baby and Alex has already

been seen practising his new swing.

Still much to look forward to for the busy RGC festive

calendar and I wish all members and their families a

Merry Christmas and a Happy Golfing New Year.

Peter Wagstaff, President

President