What a wonderful way to begin our fiftieth year as a society.

The sun shone on our first outing of the season at Millbrook, and it was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of both long-standing and new members, not only out on the course but also joining us for lunch afterwards.

A warm welcome goes to Stewart, Barry and Carol, and a welcome back to Birgitta. It was lovely to have you with us.

Thanks to Jill’s patience and excellent organisational skills, the group also looked particularly smart in our new Society gear. Even though David L did his very best to lower the tone with his trews — only joking — all was quickly forgiven, especially after his generous donation of golf balls to the prize pot. Thank you again, David.

A strong start on the course

The Florida Scramble format kept things moving nicely and helped make for an enjoyable and competitive day. That said, the idea of “evening things out” clearly did not extend to the longest drive, where the pro seemed not to have received the memo. Gavin’s loss was, I confess, my gain — sorry Gavin.

Congratulations go to Brian and Tim, who took the prizes for Nearest the Pin.

In the main competition, Brian, Paul, Alan and their ghostly fourth team member came out on top with an impressive 65.6, narrowly beating runners-up Gavin, Tim, Glen and Phil.

New kit and second order interest

Following the debut of the new Society outfits, there appears to be plenty of enthusiasm for a second order. Jill is currently trying to arrange this, so please keep an eye out for further details.

Looking ahead to the next outing

Our next event takes place at South Bedfordshire, near Luton, on Friday 15 May.

It will be a 27-hole day, featuring:

• a 9-hole Texas Scramble in the morning
• lunch
• followed by an 18-hole individual Stableford
• with players competing for the Spring Cup

It promises to be another excellent day.

Greensomes draw now out

For those taking part in the Greensomes, the wait for the draw is over. Brian has now circulated the fixtures, with all first-round matches to be played by 17 June.

Best of luck to everyone taking part.

Thanks to the Committee

Finally, a sincere thank you goes to all of the Committee members who have been working hard behind the scenes to help make this special year possible, while also continuing the important work of attracting new members and securing funds for the Society.

Here’s to a memorable fiftieth year.