ONE of the featured highlights of the Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club calendar is the Arnold Palmer Charity Classic which was established some 30 years ago.

The ethos of this event was always for a member to invite a guest and, as in all years past, the club was delighted to welcome many visitors and guests who had travelled from all over England to participate in what is not just a golf competition but a fun event where all monies are donated to a nominated charity, which this year was the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Charity.

A magnificent entry of sixty-two pairs took part in the 4BBB Stableford competition. Fortuitously, despite the forecast, the rain did not arrive until late afternoon.

The course was in excellent condition and once again many thanks go to the dedicated work put in by Rob Barrett and all of the greenkeepers.

The winners of the Arnold Palmer Shield were Keegan Jones and Daniel Kelly with 50 points. Runners up (on countback) were Jimmy Baker and Gav Paviour with 45 points. Third place was won by Graham Hammond and Bob Seager with 45 points

Winners of the Arnold Palmer Glass Bowl (Mixed pairs) were Jenny Elliot and Tim Elliott with 43 points

Winners of the Arnold Palmer Charity Bowl (Ladies pairs) were Nancy Marshall and Suzanne Ward with 37 points.

Many congratulations to all the winners for some excellent performances, notably the winners of the Arnold Palmer Shield, Keegan Jones and Daniel Kelly, with a tremendous round to achieve 50 points.

While the golf competition took centre stage, there were many other activities and challenges throughout the day. These included a splashdown won by Ellis Taylor; The long hickory putt was won by Neil Mossman and a nearest the pin Sim Challenge was won by Josh Dyer, a junior member, who managed to land his ball 2’6’’ from the hole.

Other attractions to unlock wallets and purses included an all-day raffle which raised exactly £1,000; the halfway house (£500) plus a very successful evening auction which followed the presentation. The estimated Charity Donation is about £8,250; a really magnificent achievement.

The Arnold Palmer is an extraordinary day, bringing the club together. It is a fun event which takes a huge amount of organisation and planning. Grateful thanks go to Glenn Ross, Club Manager for his dedicated effort in once again producing a very successful event; Glenn was also able to demonstrate his auctioneering skills during the evening which he did with aplomb.

It’s a team effort and much of the responsibility was shared with Hospitality Manager, Lorraine Ahern who organised much of the event and who was on hand throughout the day.

Grateful thanks also to Lady Captain, Jenny Elliott, for promoting her Charity; all the hospitality staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the day (including the halfway house); John Bickerton and Jordan Arnold, Minehead & West Somerset’s professional team who masterminded the Sim Challenge and organised the prizes for the day.

Meanwhile, the Seniors Pairs Scramble was won by David Ball and Roger Green nett 66, Doug Hayhoe and Mark Watson were second with 67 and Karl Granger and Mark Swallow third with 68. The Seniors Burgess Tankard was won by Roger Green nett 67, Chris Durman was second with 70 and Hannu Maki third on 72.