Former Somerset county player, Stuart Ponfield, has won the Farrington Park championship for a record fifth time after producing two outstanding rounds in the sunshine.
He carded two-under-par 72 on the first day and followed with 73 over a course he used to tend during his early greenkeeping days. The former Paulton Rovers footballer moved first to become head greenkeeper at Wheathill Golf Club and has since joined the staff at Mendip.
Now playing off a handicap of plus one, he has remained a member of Farrington and can appreciate the improvements being made by the club’s new head greenkeeper, Andy Brabhan.
Chris Shanks returned from university to take second on 155 (77 78) with Mark Adams finishing third one shot higher after starting with a brilliant 74 and followed with 78.
Alan Broadway was the net champion on 144 (73 71) followed by Martin Brown, 145 (75 70), who beat Steve Blackwell, 70 75, on countback.
Good scoring was achieved in the good conditions and junior golfers Alex Marshall and Jackson Carey enjoyed their first major competition.
Ladies
Bobby Appleby, the ladies’ Captain, held a successful ‘Lady Captain’s day’. The players were asked to wear rainbow colours, as proceeds from the raffle and fun competitions went towards The Rainbow Trust, the club’s captain’s charity this year. Fortunately, the rain held off until the final group came in for the buffet lunch.
She had a busy day, starting by setting up the reception desk, with flowers from her garden, team cards and instructions about the format for the day, arranging the putting competition cards, the raffle prizes and the fun game of ‘guess the number of tees in the jar’.
The format of 3-ball bowmaker with pink and yellow balls was used. The overall winners of the bowmaker with 98 points were Sue Stilwell, Jackie Walker and Victoria Watts, one better than Jane Ball, Tracy Grist and Tracey Watts with Clare Salter, June Symonds and Margaret Seery third on 96. Maureen Tayler, Pauline Young and Maureen Charlton scored 92, beating Bridget Rylance, Carol King, and Linda Rogers into fourth place on countback.
Cynthia Miller, June Symonds, Margaret Seery, Lally Gibson, Carol Jones, Peta Romaine and Victoria Watts also won spot prizes.
Sandra Blair won the Manor Course event with 44 points, nine better than Sue Barnes while Marjorie Robinson was third on 30.
Victoria Watts, June Symonds, Min Woodward, Suzanne Young and Pauline Brixey scored twos. Min Woodward won the ‘Tees in the jar’ with a guess of 107.
Club handicap secretary, Chris Liberty, ran the reception desk. Fred Grist and his daughter Lowenna designed the putting competition and then ran the raffle and the fun competition.
Sue Stillwell thanked Bobby for the day, especially the personal touch of the made up bags for the winners. She was then presented with an orchid, chocolates and a bottle of bubbly by Pauline Young as thanks from the ladies for organising the day.