Captain Carmen gets her year off to a flying start with victory at the drive-in

Friends and family made sure Carmen White-Lawes got her year as Ladies Captain at Leighton Buzzard golf club off to a flying start by knitting her decorative items of clothing, including a colourful one-off Captain's sweater
Ladies Captain Carmen White with her knitting squad of club helpers.Ladies Captain Carmen White with her knitting squad of club helpers.
Ladies Captain Carmen White with her knitting squad of club helpers.

The traditional drive-in ruse was the work of her Vice Captain Christine Rimmer to reflect on Carmen’s passion for knitting and other crafts, and raised a big cheer from around 80 club colleagues when she teed-off with a perfect shot down Leighton’s first fairway.

Born in Watford in 1957, Carmen moved to Leighton 20 years ago, and having taken up golf while living in Aberdeen and then the USA, joined Leighton’s Plantation Road club in 2005 – hitting an inch perfect hole-in-one just months later whilst playing in the ladies Olive Wood trophy competition.

Carmen (centre) with husband Robin and outgoing Captain Patti Marriott.Carmen (centre) with husband Robin and outgoing Captain Patti Marriott.
Carmen (centre) with husband Robin and outgoing Captain Patti Marriott.

In her drive-in speech delivered by outgoing Ladies Captain Patti Marriott, Christine described mum-of-two Carmen as her “soulmate” as both, in their early careers, worked in ...shoe shops/

During her year in office, Carmen will be raising funds for the Stroke Unit at Luton & Dunstable hospital, and got the account rolling at her drive-in competition won by Judy Ammon with 37 points.

Proceeds from a Christmas Bazaar being held at the Leighton club on Thursday (November 22), will also go to the Captain’s charity. The open-door event starts at 10.00am with hot refreshments included in the £2.50 entry fee.

Golfs’ 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, beating 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.

And top finishers in the November Turkey medal event will also be tucking into the traditional Xmas fowl. Jeff Beasley won Saturday’s event with a nett 64, two shots clear of Andres Valentine and Graham Aldis. In the chasing pack were: 69 – Simon Enright; 70 – David Banwell; 71 – Chris Yirrell, Gregory White, Voja Savic, Andrew Ashall and Robin Lawes. Sunday’s event was won by former Captain Steve Leng, with a nett 65, a shot clear of Will Koch with Brandon Sanders third with a nett 68. In the chasing pack were: 69 – Andrews Valentine, Luke Ager; 70 – Paul Atkinson, John McKay, Craig Simmons; 71 – Phil Eddy, Adrian Stehenson, Chris Caney.

Colin Southwell won Wednesday’s Midweek medal, won a turkey and had two shots sliced off his 22 handicap after carding a nett 67, a shot clear of Phil Coumbe and Ed Stephenson. Other leading scores: 69 – Mike Bluett; 70 – Lewis Scott, Stephen Maddison, Simon Rose, Michael Cox; 71 – Barry Wills.

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.