Melton Golf Club: New captains tee off

More than 120 spectators defied the miserable weather to cheer them both on from the first tee.

Lady captain Liz drove first, giving Jack something to live up to with a superb straight drive which landed 147 yards down the fairway.

Jack withstood much teasing as he stepped onto the tee and addressed his ball.

His target was to beat Brendan Boyce’s 31-yard drive last year, and he succeeded with a 178-yard effort which flew straight down the middle.

Formalities followed in the clubhouse as outgoing club captain Brendan and lady captain Karen Middleton handed over the reins.

Karen’s highlights had been the Mixed County Foursomes Championship and Shield wins, and raising £1,000 for Dove Cottage Day Hospice, while Brendan presented the Alzheimer’s Society with a cheque for £1,250.

Liz joined the club in 2009 and is a very keen golfer. She has been a member of the ladies’ committee for several years and supported the ladies and mixed team matches.

She will be raising money throughout her year for Breast Cancer Care and has planned two away days, a ladies’ weekend away to Breadsall Priory and a fashion show.

Liz’s sister is also lady captain of Market Rasen GC, and the two are planning a fun match for both ladies’ sections later this year.

Jack joined the club when it became an 18-hole course in 1991 and is a very popular member of the club.

He will be raising money for the Broad Appeal for Motor Neurone Disease.

Jack has many things planned including a three-day trip to Norfolk playing Royal Norwich, Cromer and Sheringham, days out to The Nottinghamshire and Wollaton Park and will represent the club this year in the Daily Mail Foursomes alongside playing partner Mark Pedge.

Jack has also organised a Men’s Invitation day with both a morning and afternoon shotgun start.

The sweep for the distance of the drives raised the first donations to both captain’s charities with all of the winners handing back their prize to the charities.

* On Saturday, the Melton GC men played a fourball Texas scramble.

The winners were father and son Alex and Will Fairbrother with Cameron Young and Mike Catlin (46.4).

The team was closely followed in second place by another father and son pair Ray and Matt Catton partnered by Gary Kitchen and Kieran Foster on 47.6.

Keith Tomblin, Adrian Green, Ken Longbottom and Ian King took third place with 48.6

* The Monday Morning Mingles continued last week through their winter league season.

Two teams tied for top spot in the greensome competition as the pairs of Haydn and Liz Snow and Bob Luke with Cheryl Osborne both scored 36.2. Runners-up were Geoff and Liz Clark (36.4) who pushed Eddie and Gay Cham (39.6) into third.

The best fourball was Haydn and Liz with Geoff and Liz (72.6).