Cottrell Park Golf Club

Last Sunday was the occasion of the playing of the Denbighshire Golfing Union Jubilee Plate semi finals and final at Abergele golf club, which for all players was a neutral golf course. Thanks are extended to the Captain and officials of Abergele for hosting the event which, as you will readily understand, only becomes a “short notice” neutral course once the finalists have been revealed. Any Abergele players in the last eight and the DGU would have to seek a different venue.

The Jubilee Plate was the concept of past DGU president Dr David Roberts, member of Ruthin Pwllglas and Llangollen, who was the County president from the mid seventies until his retirement in the late eighties. Established to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, it was originally a singles event played for by the members of the then seven clubs in the Union before the expansion to eleven in the nineties.

The original winner was Elwyn Roberts of Abergele golf club in a match that I refereed myself as the Secretary of the DGU at that time. Elwyn was delighted to be the inaugural winner, but recommended that instead of a singles event, wherein a player had to travel to other clubs on his own to play his match, the event would be better served by being a pairs match play competition, and thus has it been ever since.

Most clubs have a Jubilee Plate qualifier in the early spring and from as many as seventy pairs in each club, approximately twelve go forwards into the cross county match play draw which features the early rounds being played in either   West or East Denbighshire before going forwards to embrace all clubs in the later rounds.

The final day witnesses four pairs from various clubs playing the semi finals in the morning, and then the final in the afternoon, with the added bonus of a third and fourth place play off going out onto the course before the finalists.

This year the four pairs were Steve Mays and Stuart McKellar of Rhos on Sea, Tim Gorin and John Brookes of Ruthin Pwllglas, Chris Vaughan and Alan Scarratt of Wrexham and Frank Rodenhurst and Brian Downes of Clays.

The semi final draw was as above, and resulted in a win for the Rhos pair by 5 and 4 and a win for the Wrexham partnership by 7 and 6.

In the third and fourth place   play off, Gorin and Brookes beat Rodenhurst and Downes by a margin of 2 and 1.

The final proper appeared to impact on the fact that the players had already played eighteen holes in the morning and were now about to embark on another eighteen. For us run of the mill golfers who are unused to playing thirty six holes in a day it can be something of a challenge to maintain form over such a long period which could quite possibly take over nine hours on the course during the course of the day.

The scintillating morning form of the Wrexham pair was difficult to replicate in the afternoon and Mays and McKellar won by a margin of 4 and 3.

Secretary of the Union, David Ethelston of Llangollen, sensibly observed that perhaps buggies should be recommended rather than just allowed if required, and so ease the level of physical effort for the more mature players in the event. The Union were grateful for the services of the two referees Ian Lloyd and Maurice Berg, and enjoyed the company of Abergele President Prys Jones, along with past presidents John Lloyd Jones and Ron Jones, and the club captain Ted Francis who watched the play all afternoon.

County Captain Chris Roberts of Wrexham Golf Club was on hand to present the Plate to the winners at the presentation meal and closing ceremony. Each of the days competitors had a replica of their achievements as a permanent momento of the occasion.

Wrexham played their October handicap event as a Stableford competition last Saturday with a full field running through the four handicap divisions.

Winner of the first division was Vice captain, Keith Miller who amassed 39 points off a handicap of seven, so securing a reduction to six for his efforts. He was followed by Graham Williams on 36 and Charlie Blackburn with the same total for third place.

The second division went to Dan Read with an excellent 40 points. Dan was runner up to Jason Davies in last weeks Gresford Cup final, the club’s handicap trophy.

Mike Norton came second with 39 with Dave Muir close behind on 37.

Ted Turner scored a first class 41 points to win the third division from Dave Chadwick on 38 and Barry Wright on 37.

Jim Keenan took the fourth division award with 38 points from Dennis Evans and Craig Matthews, both on the same score, but ranked second and third on back nine holes scores.