The following has been submitted to the Hexham Courant for inclusion in the next edition.  I don’t expect the full text to survive the editor’s red pen 🙂

After a seemingly never-ending winter, the golf season has finally got started again in the hills above Allendale. On Saturday morning, 1st April, the golf club’s new Gents Captain for 2017, Johnny Birchall, was paired with the new Ladies Captain, Pat Hignett to take on the Chairman’s team in a closely fought competition over 9 holes – the Captains’ team winning by 156 Stableford points to 152. The picture shows Pat Hignett to the left, Johnny Birchall to the right and to the far right, Derek Telfer, the Branch Director of MKM Hexham, who kindly donated six replacement road signs for the various approaches to the club from Allendale, Allenheads and over the top of the hill from Park Gates.

The club treasurer, Robin Down, said “we greatly appreciate the support given by MKM – our old signs were looking weather-worn after ten years of Allen Valley winters and their replacement with modern hard wearing materials means that they not only look excellent but demonstrate to anyone passing by that we are a thriving golf club. Without the generous support of MKM, it is unlikely that we would have ended up with such professional and well-presented signage” (designed and produced by Top Signs, Hexham).

The following day, Sunday April 3rd, an enthusiastic band of members gathered to start the season in earnest with the first full competition of the year. Under glorious blue skies Ron Jamieson won the April Medal on count back with a net 64 from second place Rod Milburn. Peter Robinson was third with a net 65. Richie Rutherford achieved the lowest gross score of 69, and a net 65. The close competition and low scoring was a reflection of the excellent condition of the course and Allendale’s equatorial climate.

RJD 03042017