The culmination of the winter- league competition marked the arrival of the new season of inter-club fixtures for senior golfers at Monmouth with home openers against Belmont and Creigiau scheduled in early April.

The ten round winter-league stableford competition, in which some 60 seniors took part, looked to have a predictable winner after nine rounds.

Shun Williams had led the field by a sizeable margin but in the finish was caught and almost overhauled by Roy Salmon, who matched his final score.

Mike Topper, seniors' captain and last year's winner, was only able to determine Shun Williams as the trophy winner after a careful count-back. Roy Salmon, Colin Gardiner and John Beynon were placed second, third and fourth respectively.

As a curtain-raiser for the new season of inter-club matches the past captains, led by Chesney Britton, did battle against a seniors' team, captained by Mike Topper.

The outcome was fairly emphatic with the seniors running out winners by 6 to 2. This event will be remembered more for being staged under uncharacteristically blue March skies and on the eightieth birthday of the spritely John Gardner, than the outcome.

Rarely have beautiful weather and outstanding course conditions combined so early in the year to provide such a memorable golfing experience.

Seniors can justifiably relish the prospect of entertaining visitors to a course that is in excellent order generally and where a significant landscaping project to incorporate expansive water below the ninth green has created a stunning new feature.