Paul Higgins is to take over as the club’s Vice-Captain when Shaun Rattigan assumes the Captaincy in February, and Judith Wilkinson has been chosen by Pat Redman to be her Lady Vice-Captain when she takes over from Sheila Waterhouse in November.
Paul, an insurance broker, plays off a handicap of ten and has played for both the A and B teams.
Elected to the council a couple of years ago he currently serves as the social secretary
Judith, whose husband Steve is also a member, recently retired from her secretarial post at Park Cakes.
We wish them both every success in their years of office.
Ex-Captain Alan Garner died earlier this month at the age of 65 after a long and courageous battle against cancer.
A long-serving member of the council, and house secretary for the past three years, he held the Captaincy in 1997-98, taking over from his close friend, Fred Whittingham.
Fittingly, he won the Captain’s prize during Fred’s year of office.
An electrician by trade, he was best known as Sub Postmaster on the Limeside Estate but, following his retirement, he worked part-time for a local undertaker.
Since the death of Alan Topping, Alan organised the club’s snooker competition and was also the hard-working secretary of the Oldham and District Past Captains Association.
He is survived by his widow, Hilda – also a member of the club – his son and daughter and four grandchildren.
Our sincere condolences to his family – he will be greatly missed.
To the surprise of hardly anyone, Paul Rowbotham retained the club championship with superb rounds of 69 and 65 – his third triumph, having also taken the title in 1999.
Eldest son Lee, who also won the championship in 2002, was the runner-up with equally i[JHB1]mpressive rounds of 69 and 70.
And to complete a remarkable family hat-trick, second son Aaron, who plays off a handicap of seven, won the best net prize with 128 after gross scores of 69 and 73.
Mike Fogo had appeared to be in contention for the championship with a one-under-par opening round of 67 but faded in the afternoon with a 76.
Inspired by the birth of his first grandson, Malcolm Jee won his first-ever golf prize when he scored 43 points in a single Stableford event.
At the Tuesday presentation, believing he may never win another, he made the longest acceptance speech on record at Werneth, timed at a remarkable 24 minutes and 15 seconds (though some said it seemed longer).
Malcolm told the Wedge: “I would like to thank the Captain and all those present for their patience.”
But be warned – he has since won the Veterans’ Trophy and is preparing his speech for the annual Presentation Evening on October 8.
Werneth’s juniors narrowly lost 4-3 in the regional finals of the BMW knock-out competition at Worsley, having reached the last sixteen.
Our winners were junior Captain Michael Farrimond (8 and 6), Joe Taylor (2 and 1), and Jack Suttie (3 and 2).
Both Jonathan Dooley and Lee Mather lost on the 18th.
Their elders on the club’s A team fared no better in the semi-final of the Oldham and District knock-out, losing 3-2 at Dukinfield.
Ron Lewis was delighted when he received an unexpected call-up to play for the club’s B team in an away fixture.
But the fact that the match was to be played at Oldham caused him a little concern.
Not because of the hilly terrain, but because he is also a member of the Oldham club and organiser of its Rabbits Section.
As to be expected, he was treated to some ribald comments when he turned up to compete against his clubmates.
The reaction was even more explicit when he and his partner, Martin Shea, won their match by no less than 6 and 5.
But everyone seemed happy enough when the two teams gathered for their post-match meal of rag pudding, chips, and peas.
There was just one further problem for Ron, however – his food was served frozen solid!
After laughter all round he received a piping hot meal.
Judith Wilkinson, recently named as Lady Vice-Captain elect, won the Handley Memorial Trophy with a net par 68.
Barbara Whiting was runner up, fending off Eileen Fallows on a card play-off after both players had carded net 72s.
Judith, partnered by Marilyn Griffin and Madge Griffiths, also won a Three-man Team Goulash with 66pts – one point better than Mrs Fallows, Joan Swindells, and Isabel Wright.
And she was also successful in a Daily Mail Foursomes qualifier, partnered by Madge, with a score of 74.5
On Invitation Day, Vivien Leaver and Oldham’s Linda Bailey triumphed with 42 Stableford points, pipping Mrs Griffiths and Jane Antrobus (also from Oldham), with 41.
Ex-Captain Jane Fletcher, now a member at North Manchester, won two prizes on a course she knows so well – longest drive on the 18th and nearest the pin with her second shot on the 7th.
Mrs Fallows (3rd) and Brenda Jarvis (15th) also profited from accurate tee shots.
The George and Bessie Nash Trophy – a Greensome event – went to Mrs Fallows and Miss Swindells, with the Lady Captain and her Vice Captain in second place.
Sheila Whittingham won an LGU Pendant competition with a net 73 and Pauline Day scored 31pts to win an All-Irons Stableford.
Home-based players took the first three places in the Millennium Trophy competition staged at Werneth, with Rick Dobrowolski in top spot with a round of 77-17-60.
Second was Alan Rothera (70-10-60), with Gary Mellor (77-16-61), in third place.
Brookdale’s two-handicapper, Mark Riley, took the best gross honours with a three-under-par 65.
Rick’s charity day at Brookdale in aid of Christie Hospital, along with other fund-raising events, raised a splendid £30,000.
Indian summer weather greeted a large field for the club’s closing Invitation Day, conditions which suited Danny Wilkinson and Chris Startin (Ashton and Lea), who romped home with 46pts.
Four pairs carded 45pts but, after a countback, second place went to Ron Lewis and son Martin (Oldham), with Gary Seville and Aidan Royce (Denton), third, Vice-Captain Shaun Rattigan and Harold Byram (Prestatyn), fourth, and Rick Dobrowolski and Glenn McKenny (Brookdale), fifth.
Four pairs tied for the sixth prize with 44 points, with John Booth and A. McQuaid winning the card playoff.
Werneth golfers acquitted themselves well in an 18 over match against a near full strength Woodhouses eleven.
In reply to our 176 all out, Woodhouses scored 180-8 with only eight balls remaining.
Our principal run scorers were Mark Abbott with 22 and Jon Selby with 20.
Not quite as good as England’s Ashes triumph but very commendable.