Red Arrows jet in as Jenny and Niall win

Jenny Bain and Niall McCabe took the top prizes before the world-famous Red Arrows made a special fly-over.

Gents Captain’s day

The Gents Captain Paul Banford played the first shot of the day and then saw the first competitors tee off at 06.20.

The winning scores were exceptionally high on a course set up in pristine condition with some very difficult and some not so difficult pin positions.

The Captain’s prize was won by Niall McCabe (12) with an outstanding score of 45 points.

A number of players managed to score over 40 points, five achieving this feat; John McConnell (11) was fifth with 41 points, Ivor Johnston (17) was fourth also with 41 points and third place went to Gearard Smyth (09) with 42 points. The longest drive at the tenth hole was won by Jeff Lamb, nearest the pin at the 12th by Warren Burnside and a nearest the pin with their second shot was won by Niall O’Hara.

The associate member’s prize was won by Michael Bingham with 40 points. The Ladies prize played over nine holes was won by Noreen Mikhael with last year’s winner Francis Lawther second.

The Past Captains prize was won by Robert Patterson and the Gents Committee prize by Frank Wallace. The Junior prize went to Reece McKeown.

Scoring a tremendous 44 points to secure second place was Tony Kennedy (19). There will be no bragging rights in the Patterson household this year, Jonny Patterson (02) was not to be outdone by his sister Andrea Watson who won the Ladies Gross prize; Jonny with a round of 74, or two over par won the Gents Gross prize.

Lady Captain’s day

Lady Captain Janet Douds’ committee demonstrated their sense of humour by all dressing up in hockey kit to remind the Lady Captain of her former favoured sport.

Jenny Bain ran away with the Captains prize with 40 points, beating her nearest competitor by a healthy four points. Andrea Watson had the best gross score on the day, an 84.

In second place was Norma Devenny with 36 points, the same score as Carol Blyth who was third. The Ladies committee prize was won by Patricia McDonnell with 35 points and Ladies Past Captains prize by Joyce Millar with 31 points.

The prize for the best front nine went to Heather Wedlock and for the best back nine, Jo Donaldson. The lady Seniors prize went to Wendy Maclaughlin. Deirdre Bones won the longest drive, nearest the pin at the ninth was won by Wendy Maclaughlin and the nearest the pin at the sixteenth went to Jo Donaldson. The Junior girl prize was won by Frances Wilson.

Special visitors

Before both the Captains presented their respective prizes in the evening, the Lady Captain showed everyone that it is not ‘what you know’ but ‘who you know’. The Lady Captain Janet, knowing that the Red Arrows display team would be in Newcastle arranged for them to detour and do a flyover Rockmount Golf Club.

At five o’clock a crowd assembled outside Rockmount to see if the Lady Captain was true to her word. Anyone who doubted her should know better, right on queue the Red Arrows display did a low flyover of Rockmount Golf Club blowing out the white smoke as they went over, a tremendous honour for both Captains and especially for the Lady Captain who set it up.

Lady Captain Janet Douds presented the Ladies prizes and rounded off her night by thanking her committee, family and all the staff at Rockmount that made her day possible. Captain Mr Paul Banford presented the Gents prizes before commending the staff at Rockmount and acknowledging the committee’s at Rockmount for their support during his year. The evening was completed with live entertainment by Noel Marsden.