New skipper takes over at the traditional Leighton '˜drive in'

A new Captain of the 100-strong Ladies section at Leighton Buzzard's Plantation Road golf club is being installed today (Tuesday) with a traditional 'drive in.'
Beryl Wood (Senior Ladies Handicap Cup); Gill McDougall (Croxford Cup); Val Berry (Lucking Cup and Bridgestone Medal); Lesley Brazier (Lady of the Year); Ladies Captain Carmen White Lawes; Alison Shirville (Grannies Salver); Farida Cerosio (Summer Eclectic Bowl, Cherie James Birdies award); Lesley Bednarek (Senior Ladies championship, Challenge Cup and Foursomes Cup ); Elaine Powell (Foursomes Cup); Joyce Young (Winter Eclectic); Janice Hintner (nine hole Merit Award); Front kneeling: Outgoing Captain Patti Marriott and Vicky Pratt who won the Buckmaster Salver.Beryl Wood (Senior Ladies Handicap Cup); Gill McDougall (Croxford Cup); Val Berry (Lucking Cup and Bridgestone Medal); Lesley Brazier (Lady of the Year); Ladies Captain Carmen White Lawes; Alison Shirville (Grannies Salver); Farida Cerosio (Summer Eclectic Bowl, Cherie James Birdies award); Lesley Bednarek (Senior Ladies championship, Challenge Cup and Foursomes Cup ); Elaine Powell (Foursomes Cup); Joyce Young (Winter Eclectic); Janice Hintner (nine hole Merit Award); Front kneeling: Outgoing Captain Patti Marriott and Vicky Pratt who won the Buckmaster Salver.
Beryl Wood (Senior Ladies Handicap Cup); Gill McDougall (Croxford Cup); Val Berry (Lucking Cup and Bridgestone Medal); Lesley Brazier (Lady of the Year); Ladies Captain Carmen White Lawes; Alison Shirville (Grannies Salver); Farida Cerosio (Summer Eclectic Bowl, Cherie James Birdies award); Lesley Bednarek (Senior Ladies championship, Challenge Cup and Foursomes Cup ); Elaine Powell (Foursomes Cup); Joyce Young (Winter Eclectic); Janice Hintner (nine hole Merit Award); Front kneeling: Outgoing Captain Patti Marriott and Vicky Pratt who won the Buckmaster Salver.

Carmen White Lawes will take over from Patti Marriott who stands down after a year in office, her final act being to introduce her successor.

The drive-in event has been organised by new Vice Captain Christine Rimmer, who joined the Leighton club three years ago when the Mentmore club went out of business.

Christine’s appointment was endorsed by the Ladies Section at their annual meeting last week, when competition winners were presented with their trophies.

Other competition winners were Jenny Stafford (Championship Cup); Norma Venner (Handicap Cup and most improved golfer award); Lila Garrod (Olive Wood trophy); Elsa King (Chris Gretton Trophy); Avril Simpson (Medal Cup and Barbara McLeod Merit Award); Stephanie Howlett (most reduced handicap).

The festive season got off to a flying start for Bryan and Vicki Pratt when they won Leighton’s Mixed Turkey medal foursomes by the narrowest of margins. They took top spot with a nett score of 71.5, Sylvia Coward and Richard Dale by half a shot. Janice Hintner and Danny Nairne took third place on countback from ~Christine and John Bateman after both pairs finished with 72.5, two shots clear of Tim Hobday and Joan Waples and Patti and Steve Marriott.

Leighton’s monthly Medal event was won by Darran Velentine who had a shot cut from his 12-handicap after carding a nett 64 and three shots clear of John Allinson, Joshua Lowe and Billy O’Neill who all finished with a nett 67. Other leading scores were: 68 – Steve Leng, Phil Coumbe, Dean Ashton, Andrew Money, Joshua Rowles; 69 – Chris O’Mahoney, Simon Rossiter, Dharm Naveen Diwakar, Manny Barker; 70 – Paul Ellam, Andrew Jones, Mark Sandham, Jenny Stafford, Tim Mitchell, Jamie Tyas, Paul Atkinson, Neil Laming.

The latest Midweek stableford was won by Will Sampson whose 42 points beat Andres Valentine by a shot, with Nigel Barnes pipping Joshua Rowles for third place on counback after both finished with 40 points. Other leading scores: 38 – Daniel Hill, Matt Sale; 37 – Robbie John, Barry Wills, Steve Shepherd, Mike Smith, Russell Rowles; 36 – Stephen Foster, Roger Kingston, Lee Sanders, Steve Light, Darran Valentine, Philip Spratt-Callaghan, Steve Molyneaux, Peter Rutt.

Nigel Barnes is the new holder of Leighton’s Austin Farrell trophy, beating 61 other senior members with a 48 point haul. George Bashford was runner-up with 43 points, one clear of Brian Wilson with John Tarbox and David Kingham carding 41points.

Chris Read beat 13 colleagues to win the Coleford Society ‘Classic’, with Will Koch and Chris O’Mahony runners-up. The trophy in memory of the late Charlie Wood was won by Chris Jones, while there were nearest-the-pin prizes for Ernie Piper, Mick Gore, Mick Francis and Steve Baines with T Koch hitting the longest drive.