HELENSBURGH Golf Club members celebrated achievement on two fronts recently - the gents' Winter League and the ladies' prize-giving and Christmas dinner.

Eighty-six members attended the Winter League dinner and prizegiving evening which culminated with John Gahagan, the guest speaker and ex-professional footballer, entertaining the audience.

Team Five, the winning team on countback, was captained by Alan Latham with a score of 1117 points. In second place with the same points total was Team Four, captained by David Tolhurst.

The winning team comprised of the captain A Latham, A Reynolds, P English, J Ford, D Traynor, S Gardiner, T Scott Snr, M Stephens, J Lowden, M Taheny, R Berry, R Nesbitt, J Purden and D Kemp who won prizes of whisky and engraved crystal.

The eclectic element of the competition was won by Terry Smith Snr and Michael Stephens with an impressive score of 60 points.

Forward tees and winter holes meant high scoring conditions for 52 players in Sunday’s Frostbite competition.

Dougie Singleton was this week’s winner on 27 points, Dougie reached the turn on 24 points. Four players were vying for second place on 26 points, with Ray Smith taking the honours due to a better inward half.

Don Griffin won the scorecard raffle to collect a dozen Srixon balls and a Titleist glove.

Meanwhile, the club’s ladies held their Christmas dinner and prizegiving on December 6. Sixty-three ladies attended for the dinner and the prizegiving for the minor weekly and other competitions that they played for during the year.

The main competitions and championship prizegiving will be held in January.

Bobbie Latham and Linda Kerr knitted Christmas scenes to decorate the centre of the tables and these were raffled in aid of St Margaret of Scotland Hospice in Clydebank.

This was in memory of a past member Irene Smith, who sadly passed away during the summer at the hospice. The raffle raised £460 for the charity which the ladies have been supporting all year.

The club has now raised £3036 and this will be presented to St Margaret of Scotland Hospice. Fraser Hall, pro at Helensburgh GC, sponsors the Ladies Winter League with the entry fees of £460 being donated to CHAS.

Fraser was not able to be present at the Christmas dinner. A cardboard mask which was made for his recent birthday was worn by the lady vice captain, Anita McLaren, when the cup and prize for the overall winner was presented by the lady captain, Margaret Thompson to Carol Bews.