Benchmark for golfing dedication
Leighton Golf Club round-up
The three daughters of a former local businessman and his wife have presented a commemorative bench to Leighton Buzzard Golf Club to mark the 120 years their parents were collectively members of the Plantation Road club.
Charlie Tucker and wife Bessie joined the Leighton club in 1936 when it was a nine-hole course with fewer than 300 members. Charlie went on to become Club Captain in 1944 and President a decade later, while wife Bessie was Ladies Captain in 1965.
Charlie, a scratch golfer who was a ladies outfitter in the town for many years, carried on playing until shortly before his death at the age of 75, while Bessie, who played off a handicap of six for many years, was hitting them up the fairway until shortly before her death in 2008.
The commemorative bench, donated by daughters, Zan Nicholl, Caroline Williams and Jo Hawtrey-Woore, has been placed on the 14th tee at the Plantation Road club, a par three where Bessie hit her only hole-in-one during the 65 years she was a member at Leighton.
The bench was received on behalf of the club by President Syd Pniewski who paid tribute to the contribution Mr and Mrs Tucker made in helping develop the club into the county-standard course and clubhouse it is today.
Zan, who lives in Stewkley with husband Steve - both of whom are club members - said: "Mum and dad lived for Leighton golf club and the social enjoyment it gave them.
"We just hope that the golfers of today get as much fun and enjoyment out of the game and some relaxation on the bench before they tee off on the 14th."
Lesley Brazier walked off with Leighton Ladies' EWGA Medal, her nett 69 being the best round of the day. Fellow former Ladies Captain Cicily Goldsmith finished runner-up to Lesley in the Silver Division; Betty Bluett and Gillian Chehade both finished with nett scores of 73 to top the Bronze "A" section and Lyn Newnham took the Bronze "B" award with a nett 71, a shot clear of Ann Gray.
Debbie Pollard Barnes had the best gross score to win the Medal Cup, and teamed up with Paula Cox to win the four-ball betterball competition with a one point victory over Margaret Osborne and Liz Bagshaw.
Other results: Silver – Vanessa Jay, 72; Val Smith 75; Bronze "A" – Joan Waples 74, Pat Mihill, 74; Bronze "B" – Sandra Carter, 68; Lyn Newnham 74.
Leighton's inter-club team suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, only David Hawkins and Derek Lindley winning out of six starters against Buckingham.
The Seniors team had better luck, beating Bedfordshire 7-1. Winners for Leighton were Roy Johnson and Derek Browning, Mike Turnock and George Bashford, Keith Thurtell and John Venner, Harry Adam and David Debell, Terry Lingham and Danny Nairne, George Darbyshire and Chris Ive, and Derek Hobday and Peter Carmody.
Big-hitting David Hanley will represent Leighton Buzzard in the regional qualifier of the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am on Friday.
He will team up with Leighton's Kiwi coach Maurice Campbell at the Old Fold Manor club in a bid to reach the national finals.
Terry and Sylvia Dell won Leighton's Douglas Bader Cup with a 40 point haul, a shot clear of Nikki and Lee Clark, Andy and Augustine Vale, Sandra and Brian Carter, and Kate Wright and Matt Hill, all of whom finished on 39 points
Ladies Captain Liz Bagshaw boosted her charity fund by over 1,000 with a 'Silver Screen' evening, with the winning table dressing as the characters in the Wizard of OZ.
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South
