NEW Cirencester Golf Club captain Adam Collins welcomed members at the traditional captains’ drive-in on New Year’s Day and expressed his excitement about his year ahead which coincides with a raft of changes to help popularise the game of golf.

The clubhouse was full as members and guests came to celebrate the new era, fortified by mulled wine, cheese & biscuits and mince pies.

Adam was joined by the other three new captains – Fiona Fyfe (ladies), Jess Brown (juniors) and David Lowbridge (seniors), along with pro Ed Goodwin and vice president Bob Hadley in the ceremonial teeing-off at the first hole.

Club members were asked to predict the aggregate distance of the six drives which came out at 1,038 yards. Naming no names, the individual strikes were: 238, 199, 179, 161, 135 and 126. And the biggest smile in the clubhouse belonged to Irena ‘Mystic Meg’ Windslow who correctly guessed the total and walked off with the £130 jackpot. Graham Carter was another big winner on the day when his raffle ticket for the top prize was drawn, earning him an expensive Scotty Cameron putter.

Money raised will help towards the purchase of a dialysis scanner at the Gloucester Hospital renal unit.

A SOCIAL Bowmaker was played on December 29 with three scores out of four to count on all holes apart from the four par threes, where all players had to contribute.

The winning team was Paul Dominguez, John King, Tony Holdway and Mark Jameson, who scored a fine total of 130 points.

Runners-up were Andy Tibbles, Chris Yeates, Tom Waller and guest Alan Waller with 129. In third place came Ian Perry, John Parsons, Mark Woodhead and Andy Ponting on 127.

The top mixed team comprised Andy Morris, Rich Merry, Jennifer Dunning and Steve Titchener, who scored 118 points.

Ladies’ NQ New Year 14-hole Stableford

EMILY GORMAN made good use of her 42 handicap to pip Irena Windslow by a single point – 31 to 30 – in the first ladies’ competition of 2019.

The near-miss prevented Irena from pulling off the big Christmas double, having taking the prize for guessing the aggregate tee shots at the New Year’s Day captains’ drive-in.

In third place came Sheila Westmacott with a creditable 27 pts.